Yes. I was a Girl Scout. Hello. However, my memories on the specifics
about my experiences are generally fuzzy. Here are some images I
remember:
- Learning the American Sign Language
alphabet, then sitting cross-legged with the rest of my troop, and signing my
first name to a woman who was deaf. She had come to our meeting as a
guest, and I remember my heart pounding and my fingers going all wiggly
because I was so nervous. Signing my name in front of everyone. I think I did OK,
though.
- Standing in the hallway of the community center
where we would meet, with hot tears welling up in my eyes because I
couldn't do the hand motions to "Edelweiss" perfectly after trying for
only 20 minutes. I remember the hallway was really dim, because no one
else used the building on Saturdays, so not all the lights were on.
- Going to Camp Welaka for "Girl Scout camp," but
all I remember was waking up in the middle of night, scratching myself
raw because I was covered in head-to-toe mosquito bites (we were all
eaten alive). I may have woken up with a swollen eye. I think I also had
the coolest flashlight known to man: it had three different lights on
it, one of which may have strobed.
- Looking through my badge book, searching for badges that didn't involve talking to strangers/anyone at all.
I
was a "brownie" and then graduated to "junior." I did help sell cookies.
But as I recall, I hated standing outside of Crafts & Stuff and
seeing the look in people's eyes.
"Oh, god please don't ta--"
"Hi, would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" the other girls would whine as sweetly as possible.
Then it was the adults' turn: stammering, excuses, or the pursed-lip-with-a-
I was even more shy and stranger-phobic than I am
now, so you can imagine the back of my E.T.-length neck burning, my
cheeks on fire, and all I wanted to do was go home and watch T.V. under
the covers. Or build prototypes for fake inventions. Or read my
"Goosebumps" books.
Oh, boy. That went somewhere I didn't expect it to.
