Airbrushed Mural image by Pamela Shanteau
Several years ago, I took a group of students to Ohio for a weekend retreat event. It was a large event in a stadium-like atmosphere with lots of bands, speakers, students and very little sleep. If you've ever been on a weekend trip with a bunch of teens, these conditions are par for the course in youth work.
On trips like this, you drive a maxi van for what seems to be the entire distance of the US and back and your diet intake is in the categories of candy, pizza and caffeine. The one thing that is always unpredictable, besides the students, is the weather.
By the late afternoon on Saturday, the upcoming weather reports were calling for a storm advisory of rain to sleet and eventually to snow. On this particular trip, we'd have to drive back through areas that are infamous in snow belt country. We needed to think of a plan B.
Our group held a quick meeting and I let them know the concerns I had about the weather and was surprised to hear that majority of the group preferred to get on the road home early, leave the event prior to the final meeting, and have a chance to stop for dinner at a restaurant that offered more than pizza, Mountain Dew and skittles.
We all piled into the van and began our trip across Ohio. The rain had already started to pour by the time we go into the interstate. The windows were foggy, the kids were incredibly loud and the wind was pushing the van all over the place as I drove on the slippery road. After a few hours passed, we finally arrived at our resting stop. Our hungry bellies were rejoicing as we pulled into the parking lot. Before we went into the place, I reminded the students to be respectful of the waitstaff, order moderately so to save money for leaving a tip, but to enjoy this higher-end meal.
I had a very nice time sitting at my table of students. We had a great meal and enjoyed our conversation together. However, the male chaperone for our group did not enjoy the meal in the slightest. His table was loud and their table habits were not as refined as he would have liked. In fact, they took to making lemon-aid by asking for more lemon slices and adding sugar from the packets on their table. They upped the anti more by ordering a variety of condiments for their entrees. They snorted ketchup, mustard, mayo, pepper, salt, and any item they could dare each other to inhale. The chaperone corrected them on their behavior, and the rest of the meal continued without any further incident.
Somehow, this disaster occurred while I sat chatting away to the kids at my table. It's amazing what you can miss when you are sleep deprived. By the time we all paid our bills and made our way back to van for the last leg of the ride home, my volunteer had had it. As he was telling me how dinner had not gone well, half of the group ran over to the grassy area of the lot in a mad dash. "What could they ever be up to now!" we exclaimed.
Apparently, the experiment of mixing and snorting condiments did not do the digestion of the boys dinner any good. As one boy hurled his dinner, another started to gag and hurl theirs. One by one each kid that came over to witness the mass expulsion, either turned their back a walked away or vomited on the spot at what they saw. So much for going for a nice dinner.
Eventually, I got all the kids back into the van, passed out peppermint gum and told them to rest quietly for the next hour drive home. Before we left town, we stopped for gas and I pick myself up a Ginger Ale to calm my own rolling tummy after witnessing and continuing to smell the results of the eruptive events.
My volunteer smiled as we pumped the gas in the van and his car that we used for all the luggage and supplies from the weekend. I asked him how he could be smiling after the recent events and he said, "Well, we hoped that the kids would catch the spirit this weekend at the retreat. Now we know for sure that they can repeat or catch what they see and experience." He paused for a moment then said, "Well that, and the fact that I don't have to smell them the rest of the way home because I'm driving my car."
Lessons learned on Ohio trip #127: Don't snort condiments. Always carry gum. Ginger ale has the magical ability of carrying you through even the stinkiest of van rides. Always have your volunteers ride in the van with you. Catching the spirit isn't fun unless everyone is along for the ride.
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