2009-08-17

Like, Totally, Awkward Tuesday

[Editor's Note:  This is my first attempt at Totally Awkward Tuesdays, brought to you by Tova Darling. Please head over to her site to see who else is awkward.  And make sure to check out the hover text on the pictures.]

The time:  July 1987.
The place:  The St. Louis Zoo
The event:  Gifted Camp Field Trip

Who is the yo-yo with the yo-yo?  Scope!The summer of 1987, the summer before my senior year of college, I was a counselor at a camp for gifted kids at my college.  There were 4, 13 day sessions sessions that summer.  (We got off the 24 hours from the Saturday noon when the camp ended to the Sunday noon when the next one started.)  If memory serves me correctly, this was either the second or third session (I'm leaning toward third, not that it matters).  The camp was mostly kids going into 5th, 6th, 7, or 8th grade.

The weekend that we had the kids, we went on a field trip.  With this batch, we went to the St. Louis Zoo, which was about a 1.5 – 2 hour Graphic print and a popped collar?  80's style!drive.  So we loaded the kids up, for a day of fun at the zoo.

(Unfortunately, I had to wear my camp t-stirt, not this beauty. -->)

The day went just fine.  Beautiful July day in St. Louis.  So about 97° and 95% humidity with not a breezy to be found.  After a couple of hours, it was time to start rounding the little hooligans up for the return trip.  Just as we were getting them on the buses and trying to do head counts, etc., it started to rain.  Not a little drizzle. 

Cloudburst. 

Chaos.

That's not the awkward part.

Not pointing any fingers, mind you...So, at the entry of the park, as it's pouring rain, one of the girls drops like a stone, curled up in pain.  We got the other kids on the bus, and just left her to die and be fed to the wolves, followed the ambulance as best as we could to the hospital.

And there we sat.  For an hour and a half.  The other kids were wet, getting hungry, and somewhat freaked out.

Kids – Is she dead?  Me – No, she's not dead..

Kids – How do you know? Me – If she was dead, they would have sent us home by now.

Kids (every 4 minutes) – How is she?  Have you heard anything? 
Me – We're all locked on this bus together.  You'll know when I know something.  (Remember kiddos, this was before cell phones existed in their modern form, and while the buses did have CB's in them, the Rubber Duck hadn't sent us a Breaker 1-9 to let us know the situation.)

Finally, word came out that she was fine.  Everything was fine. Insert your own 'HEAD COUNSELOR' joke here. We were to head back, and the head counselor and her counselor were going to stay back with her, and follow us later.  (Still not sure the logistics of how the got back to Jacksonville, but oh well.)

When the three of them came back later, the head counselor filled us in on the situation.

Was it food poisoning?  No.
Was it appendicitis?  No.

Right there, on the field trip with 80 other kids, she had her first cramp.  Welcome to womanhood!

AWKWARD!


And when discussing awkward 80's looks, those of you who went to school with me, or are my friends on Facebook may recognize Scott from his days as Max Headroom.

14 comments:

Morgan the Muse said...

Oh! Poor girl. This brings painful memories to mind. Or is it that jacket?

Morgan the Muse said...

Wait, sorry, I amend that last post, it is a shirt and not a jacket, isn't it? Either way, it is pretty awkward itself. I don't know how you guys survived that decade without having your head explode. Me? I missed it by a couple of months, so I am safe. But I keep expecting to see forty and thirty somethings stopping dead in their tracks, holding their heads, and screaming "LEG WARMERS, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?" then go and knock over a bank or something. S'true.

Judi said...

Oh man. That sucks. But your post totally rocked. Your pictures really added something special! And by the way, counselor at a camp for gifted kids? Well, la-di-da! (That's kinda funny given the first paragraph of my post.)

The Peach Tart said...

Great story and I love the pictures of young Scope.

J.J. in L.A. said...

I thought you were going to say your awkward moment was having all those teenage girls chase after you because WOWZA! I would have! ; )

And cramps so bad she had to be taken to the hospital? I can't even imagine (and I'm thankful for that, believe me!). I liked your "If she was dead, they would have sent us home by now." lol!

And I'm surprised you didn't chase after the head counselor...she's a cutie!

This was an awesome 1st T.A.T.!

Cora said...

That shirt is bitchin!!

Scope said...

Morgan - Except for the acid washed jeans, and the examples I pulled here, I think my standard wardrobe of jeans and an oxford translates better than most. I do not have to answer for the whole "Flash Dance" look in any photo.

Judi - The kids were "gifted" in that they had parents who could pay the cost of camp. There will be future "gifted" kids stories. And loved your first paragraph.

Peach Tart - Why thank you very much, ma'am.

JJ - Who said I didn't have a thing for her? She was off the hook hot. And I had a -17% chance.

Cora - That shirt was rad. I hated to toss it.

Bev said...

Oh man, how mortifying! That must have been soooooommmmeeee cramp.

Love the shirt! What? No faux-paint splatters?

Sassy Britches said...

I would love to hear how she explained her hospitalization to her friends when she returned. I think: tapeworm. That's the route I'd have gone.

P.S. Freakin' SWEET shirt you're rockin' in the second pic, Scope.

Cowguy said...

LOL these are some of the greatest pics ever Scope! I laughed on FB this morning and again just now.

I could run my truck for a year with all the oil used to make my polyester shirts back in the 80's.

underneath the bunker said...

I was a gifted camper there years before we met, Eric, and then a counselor for a couple of summers after you were. oy vey.
-Marilyn

Dr Zibbs said...

I just can't get over the clothes in the top picture.

Or what I like to call it...a guttup.

King of New York Hacks said...

Yeah , my niece found a pic of me in the 80's wearing Orange pants and a shirt with shoulder pads...its gonna be a loooonggggg time before she lets me off the hook on that !! LMAO

Cora said...

Scope, with those sexy legs and that smile of yours I'm sure you had waaaayyyyyy more than a -17% chance with that girl! :-)