Sifting Through Summer: part two
So... I'm not very good at the whole "part" thing. Meaning, I'm not good at ALL the "part" things. I'm a starter; a really good one, too, but... Somewhere between go and finish, I finish. For example, I've yet to complete a journal, but I start a new one almost every year.
Regardless, my summer story picks up with me driving to Dallas. And I'm there. I explore my new surroundings similar to the Christmas puppy: wary at first, but "pea my pants" excited as time goes on. I plop all my belongings in what will be my room for the summer ("I have a room!" I think. A pillow on the couch was the extent of kindness I'd allowed myself to expect, thinking it best not to entertain such high hopes). My own room was only the fingernail on the body of kindness my family (and others, I haven't forget about you) would show me this summer.
My first internship day came and went with nerves and newness all swirling around in my brain. I was just praising God that I got there and back without crashing. I did turn down the wrong way on a one way street, though. This seems to be a common occurrence for me (along with locking myself out of cars) so I merely chuckled off this driving hiccup. The next several days were a sort of "testing" period for me. I was getting used to my cohorts and surroundings and trying to find my niche in the whole thing. Some of my best memories at The Elisa Project include my 21st birthday (duh) and the collaborative lecture we had at the very beginning of my internship. It was me, my supervisor, another intern, and a lady from the community. We discussed and brainstormed about what topics to include in our various toolkits (I worked primarily on the "family and friends" toolkit which I hope to share with you soon after it's published online). I truly felt like an executive! Not only that, but I also felt like my ideas and enthusiasm might actually help someone (and maybe they could then help someone, too).
My first day of work followed soon after: training videos, the bane of employee initiation. I do remember one line in particular from a training video on hand/finger safety (yes, an ENTIRE lecture was devoted to this topic). They were about to show gruesome photos on the big screen and the speaker warned the audience with the following:
"If anyone is offended by gratuity, you should probably close your eyes or something. Oh! I mean, not gratuity, er... Ya know... graphic, gruesome, you know what I'm saying. I think everyone is offended by paying tips... haha."
Yep, I died laughing, too. Except I was being watched by my supervisors... ooops. No worries, though; they laughed with me (and at me, which I'd take over scowls or snickers, any day). The rest of the day (and that week, actually) I "shadowed" some great (and sub-great) custodial men and women. I learned the proper "football" form of cleaning a toilet. I also learned that your average Joe can read everything but the "do not" section above the recycling bins. Through it all, I learned to laugh it off, let it go, and lift it up. I laughed at the various jokes the crew shared around the break room, as well as the condescending attitude held by some rude passersby. I learned to, subsequently, let the rude passersby, as well as some crude humor, go by the wayside. You have to choose your battles, and I'm not afraid of confrontation (don't enjoy it, but not scared of it). I still didn't want to make mountains out of mole hills, though. I learned that lesson in other areas of my summer, too. I also learned that music is the savior of monotony. I literally sung and hummed and whistled everyday once I discovered music helped pass time. I would even play music or listen to sermons on my iPhone if I was detail cleaning an abandoned classroom. Detail cleaning (shudder) is the bane of custodial commitments. It involves menial tasks such as scrubbing the baseboard by hand (sometimes with furniture polish)... ugh. That's about the time I'd bring out the "whistle while I work" attitude and music would ride in and save my day.
All work and no play? I don't think so. And this time, I didn't spend the whole quarter sitting on the bench! What was this game I spent so much time playing? We shall see.
Regardless, my summer story picks up with me driving to Dallas. And I'm there. I explore my new surroundings similar to the Christmas puppy: wary at first, but "pea my pants" excited as time goes on. I plop all my belongings in what will be my room for the summer ("I have a room!" I think. A pillow on the couch was the extent of kindness I'd allowed myself to expect, thinking it best not to entertain such high hopes). My own room was only the fingernail on the body of kindness my family (and others, I haven't forget about you) would show me this summer.
My first internship day came and went with nerves and newness all swirling around in my brain. I was just praising God that I got there and back without crashing. I did turn down the wrong way on a one way street, though. This seems to be a common occurrence for me (along with locking myself out of cars) so I merely chuckled off this driving hiccup. The next several days were a sort of "testing" period for me. I was getting used to my cohorts and surroundings and trying to find my niche in the whole thing. Some of my best memories at The Elisa Project include my 21st birthday (duh) and the collaborative lecture we had at the very beginning of my internship. It was me, my supervisor, another intern, and a lady from the community. We discussed and brainstormed about what topics to include in our various toolkits (I worked primarily on the "family and friends" toolkit which I hope to share with you soon after it's published online). I truly felt like an executive! Not only that, but I also felt like my ideas and enthusiasm might actually help someone (and maybe they could then help someone, too).
My first day of work followed soon after: training videos, the bane of employee initiation. I do remember one line in particular from a training video on hand/finger safety (yes, an ENTIRE lecture was devoted to this topic). They were about to show gruesome photos on the big screen and the speaker warned the audience with the following:
"If anyone is offended by gratuity, you should probably close your eyes or something. Oh! I mean, not gratuity, er... Ya know... graphic, gruesome, you know what I'm saying. I think everyone is offended by paying tips... haha."
Yep, I died laughing, too. Except I was being watched by my supervisors... ooops. No worries, though; they laughed with me (and at me, which I'd take over scowls or snickers, any day). The rest of the day (and that week, actually) I "shadowed" some great (and sub-great) custodial men and women. I learned the proper "football" form of cleaning a toilet. I also learned that your average Joe can read everything but the "do not" section above the recycling bins. Through it all, I learned to laugh it off, let it go, and lift it up. I laughed at the various jokes the crew shared around the break room, as well as the condescending attitude held by some rude passersby. I learned to, subsequently, let the rude passersby, as well as some crude humor, go by the wayside. You have to choose your battles, and I'm not afraid of confrontation (don't enjoy it, but not scared of it). I still didn't want to make mountains out of mole hills, though. I learned that lesson in other areas of my summer, too. I also learned that music is the savior of monotony. I literally sung and hummed and whistled everyday once I discovered music helped pass time. I would even play music or listen to sermons on my iPhone if I was detail cleaning an abandoned classroom. Detail cleaning (shudder) is the bane of custodial commitments. It involves menial tasks such as scrubbing the baseboard by hand (sometimes with furniture polish)... ugh. That's about the time I'd bring out the "whistle while I work" attitude and music would ride in and save my day.
All work and no play? I don't think so. And this time, I didn't spend the whole quarter sitting on the bench! What was this game I spent so much time playing? We shall see.
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