True Stories

As I said before, there's never a dull moment when you're working in a place that is nicknamed the asylum. More often than not the craziness that goes on in the looney bin either involves the kids or doesn't involve them. You see, as much as these kids get into trouble on a semi-daily basis, we can get in hot water ourselves. Working in the asylum you are expected to act professionally and do your job with the deepest and utmost respect for yourself, the parents, and the kids who look up to us, as well as, respect is...most of the time. BUT once you step through those hallowed doors one's professionalism can be forgotten sometimes and yet we do our job with respect to ourselves, the parents and the kids.

Most of the time, the madness that goes on happens when the kids are not around and that when we turn in troublesome, hyperactive adolescents. Let me tell you something, it's never really a good idea to leave seemingly full grown, well-adjusted adults alone with certain equipment that can cause bodily harm. Certain equipment, such as-I don't know-let's say a laundromat dryer and getting into that dryer, turning it on, and seeing what it's like to be spinning around in there. Personally speaking, even though I almost broke my neck going upside down, it was a fun experience. This basically proves one thing, when employees have too much free time on their hands, we will do some crazy things.

Essentially, what's so great about being a counselor is that one can easily form friendships with parents. A friendship that allows us to beat down their child and are willing to help in the beat down process. Last Friday, my best friend and I were constantly being annoyed, chastised, and patronized by this particular teenager who at one point in the afternoon called both of us grandpa. We chased him around the asylum, cornered him, got him on the ground where I got him in a headlock which then turned into the crippler crossface. My best friend got some parting shots in and all-the-while his mom was laughing at the whole thing which tells you that we have, bar none, the coolest parents. Though it started as a mediocre afternoon, it ended pretty crazy.

Initially every person who works or has worked at the asylum is considered a few Mcnuggets short of a happy meal without the toy inside. What job, that you know of, can you have the absolute fun in and get paid for doing it. I've had a blast going to places such as waterville where I basically got paid to simply float down the lazy river. Thinking back, there have been times where spontaneous limbo lines have formed, water balloon fights have broken out, and hordes of kids chase counselors to the point where a massive dog pile ensues and I have been under many of those dog piles. Over the years, I have done and been associated with so many crazy and insane moments that its hard to name which one tops the list.

Albert Einstein once said, ~The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.~ In retrospect, you have to have a break in the monotonous and seemingly repetitive aspects of one's own job. One has to either make it happen or it will happen all by itself. In some ways, working in the asylum is like being in a weekly tv series with a cast of characters that changes every season. Though the premise of this weekly series is about kids, it's also about the people who work there. For the drama, action, and hilarity that ensues will never disappoint you because in the end, they're all true stories of my reality and those who are along for the ride with me.