Gimme a C! I mean a K!

I got to thinking today about my friend, Karol. I love her. She has been there for me when times were really hard and with me when things were really funny. She was the one who alerted me to a job at a camp in the Catskills last year where I met some of the best people I will ever know; she is one person who understands that I am insane and does not judge me for it. She comes to me frustrated about the experience of being a Girl Scout Troop Leader and does NOT blame me for it, because it was my idea in the first place. I have Karol as a reference on my resume. I've known her 19 years, this summer. Hmmm, I should get a cake or something. I realize that 19 years is a long time to be friends with someone, especially when you're only 25. We have managed to stay close even though we keep changing and go extended periods of time without seeing each other. Maybe that's how we've managed as long as we have. If we saw each other everyday, I wonder if we would be able to stand it. I guess we'll never know.

I have decided to write down a few experiences so that you too, can share in the craziness that is the two of us.

1989: We meet at Camp Aspetuck when both of us are placed in the Dell. Hilarity ensues.

1997: We both work as Program Aides at camp. During our overnight we stay up ALL NIGHT (great idea) writing a HILARIOUS skit that nearly made the Camp Director pee her pants.

1998: We both serve on a Girl Scout girl member Planning Board and drive people crazy with our nutball ways. She also stands by me when I tell an adult member of Council (whom everyone was afraid of) that I will not have my ideas ignored and that she needs to stop interrupting so that I can finish making my point even though she has already determined that it doesn't matter. I believe I said "I am just as stubborn as you are, Eileen." We also plan a farewell presentation for this same adult member of Council who moved to NC. Again, people almost peed themselves.

2004 - 2005: We work together at Camp Aspetuck and scare admin and some new staff just be standing close to each other.

2006: We both get a job at Great Hollow Wilderness School in New Fairfield without the other one knowing. On our first day without a senior member of staff, our boss decides to make us co-leaders of a day group. We could barely contain ourselves, whether it was fear or excitement, I don't really know. This experience, we knew, would be ridiculous in many ways. We pulled it off however. The chaperon of our groups never even knew that we had gotten lost.

2007: Like a genius, I decide that I need to take on another project with Karol. So I call her up and ask if she would like to be a Girl Scout Troop Leader with me, she agrees and we begin training. A job in New Hampshire makes it impossible for me to help so she goes on with her sister as her co. She tells me stories of having to deal with the craziness of kids, parents and especially other leaders and I actually want to suffer along with her because it would be so fun to go to leaders meetings and make comments under my breath while she tried to keep a straight face.

2006 - present: Hikes with Karol generally include climbing down a gorge where one of us has a near brush with death or severe bodily harm only to stand up and say "That was really cool" while the other one laughs hysterically; crossing said gorge via downed tree that hangs approximately 15 - 20 feet up without safety equipment of any kind and my personal favorite, deciding to jump from rock to rock in the creek INSTEAD of walking the trail because it's more fun and seeing to can stay driest the longest.

So that's it. I guess that the only people who might actually LAUGH at this are me and Karol, but maybe it got you thinking about your best friend and how you should really call her.