Communication

There were lots of things I learned this summer. Lots of things I knew, but saw in practice and a couple things I learned about myself. One of the biggest things I learned/saw was how important communication is and how differently men handle issues of leadership and communication in comparison to women.

While at camp there was a lot of communicating going on, just never between the people who really needed to talk. It amazes me how much things can get out of whack because we won't say the things that should be said.

This summer at camp was most likely the smoothest summer ever in terms of camper/scout master satisfaction, professional accomplishment and the like. There were very few traumatic (read interesting) injuries and few genuine crisis at camp. Yet, for all that ease, smoothness, pretty picture, this summer was most likely my least favorite of the four. People didn't talk to each other, they talked about each other and people were not honest with each other when the time came. This is a very foreign concept to me. Granted sometimes I don't say anything, but for the most part it is very hard for me to keep my thoughts to myself on issues I consider important and if someone asks me what I think I tell them. Further I would never say something behind someone's back that I wouldn't be willing to say to their face. Seriously.

This summer, however, I said nothing, just like everyone else. In my case I didn't say anything because I was the medic not the administrator and I really felt it wasn't my place. This created a lot of internal stress for me, though. I think I slept for nearly 18 hours straight when I got home and then another 10 hour shot afterward. Now I am back at work at school with educational professionals and the difference is amazing. We are dealing with a lot more problems, bigger volume and more stressful issues and yet I feel so much more relaxed because here we talk about them, we discuss it and we fix it or at least find a workable solution. What a difference!

Not to sound sexist, though I do think there are definite issues of gender, but I wonder if that is because the teaching field is predominantly female where as the boy scouts are predominantly male (hence the name). This is also funny to me because in the past I have always said I prefer working with males as they tend to be much more straight forward and simple in their relationships. Which is true. In this case that simplicity twisted back on itself and created the most unpleasant work attitudes I've seen in some time.

Sorry to be so critical-analytical. There were some pretty cool stories and I will share them shortly, about chain-saws, ticks, hijinks and such, but before I could even get to those I needed to get this part off my chest.