Before reuniting with my team after being on Disaster, I was chosen to participate in a special service day in D.C. In relation with Michelle Obama’s efforts to curb childhood obesity and summer reading loss, NCCC facilitated a service event to pack over 3,000 “Healthy life style tool kits” aka: backpacks filled with jump ropes, water bottles, books, food pyramids etc. Our group met with the First Lady and got a photo opt. It was exciting to meet her. She is even prettier in person; tall, thin, and chiseled cheek bones. Although, the whole event was a circus. Hard days and longs nights went into a 2 hour service event for Congressional Families to stuff backpacks as the Media ate it up. In reality it was one big advertisement for the sponsors who donated the items. Imagine 3,000 canvas bags with big red Targets on them with Microsoft keychain digital cameras and AOL note pads inside. NCCC did the entire set up and as soon as the clock turned 3 the Congressional Families where given Honest Tea and sent on their way. 600 bags where still left for us to pack and the final tear down. We got home around 9pm. To end on a positive, on the initial set up day they put us up in The Residence Inn Marriott. Three other girls and I shared a two bedroom suite on the 16th floor. I had my own queen size bed. I felt spoiled. I am used to sleeping in a tent. At the end of the day I am very grateful for everything NCCC provides me. Yet, I would much rather be sleeping in the Great Dismal Swamp than caught up in the politics of another congressional service day.
Horse? No hoarse…
I finally get back to my team and the very next morning I wake up with a raspy hoarse voice of an 80 year old chain smoker. 5 days and a Z pack later I still sound this way. Youth Corps arrived yesterday and the camp is full of new young people. It’s hard to find motivation to be social when you sound like this. I don’t know why I am so prone to sound like Froggy from The Little Rascals when I am in the position to meet new people. For the first full week of school my Junior year in college I had spontaneously lost my voice completely. I could only whisper. This doesn’t go over well when peers are asking you your name in a loud classroom and you have to get up close and personal to whisper your name in their ear. My intentions were surely misread.
The majority of the Youth Corps members are still in high school. I’m practically 6 years older than most of them yet I am the one that sounds like I’ve just reached puberty with my crackling voice. But what can you do? In the words of a wise friend, “You know, whatever”.
