NHFH

I walked into the locked room at the gym yesterday morning and heard someone arguing on their phone. They were in the tanning booth. 

No one has amazed me like this in quite some time. Whoever you are, thanks for having a conversation on your phone while tanning. The experience reminded to unplug, to take a break from social media and become more aware of the world around me. 

It was a liberating feeling when I woke up this morning and realized that my day would not start with looking at Facebook posts. I’ve reclaimed that time for myself.

nothing ventured (the summer i learned how to run)

The summer before my freshman year in college I decided that I wanted to be a camp counselor. Now, my memory isn’t that great when it comes to this stuff, but apparently I had my heart set on New England. 

There was no internet. There was no email. I obtained a list of camps and started writing letters in the early spring. Three responded to set up phone interviews. I was hired by “Camp Onaway” which sits on Newfound Lake in Hebron, NH.

The campers arrived the last week of June. Counselors were to report a few days prior for orientation. I packed up my Hyundai Excel and headed north. After nearly seven hours in the car, I made a left turn on a winding, tree lined road and continued down a gravel path. The view opened up and the lake was in clear sight. I was greeted by the camp director and shown the “cabin” where I would be spending the summer. 

She introduced me to the other counselors, all of whom had been campers at Onaway for several summers during their childhood. It was then I discovered that I was the first counselor hired that had not been a camper at Onaway. That’s when it started to get awkward. They were being reunited with their summer family and I felt like an outsider. 

The first day of meetings came to a close and we retired to our cabins. I spent the night awake, wondering if the animal I heard clawing from an unknown location would somehow find it’s way into my bunk. At sunrise, I got in my car and headed back home.

I spent that summer working with my mom at a mail order company in town. A friend of mine who lost her mother that spring found out her father had cancer. She was 15 years old. That was the summer I learned how to run.

leave it at the door

I’ve been training some new people this fall. After a week long absence, one of them returned to inform me that a family member had fallen ill. She was under a great deal of stress, which was exacerbated by the impending Holidays.

I listened to what she had to say, then I told her to “leave it at the door.” I didn’t say it to be mean; I said it to be honest. You get half an hour, twice a week for yourself. Let that time be for you.

Thankfully, she was receptive to my message.

Lately, I’ve found myself engaged in conversations with my clients about my personal life more frequently than I’d like. At times, it’s difficult to balance being personable and professional...and I know they mean no harm, but it still doesn’t make it appropriate. 

The reason for this struggle is because I practice what I preach. When I walk through that door, I am there to do my job. If only everyone else would "leave it at the door" we’d all be more productive.