Reality Check

Exhausted after the four hour trip up to camp, I checked into the office to find out that I had been moved to a new room. For the past two summers, my room was one of the highlights of my camp experience. I had a large, private room, far from the noise of camp. I loved my spacious private bathroom, and enjoyed drinking my morning expresso on my patio, overlooking the idyllic vista of trees. I established close friendships with my neighbors, and we often hung out on days off.

My new room is in the most noisy building, a gathering center for the adults at camp. There is a TV in the lobby (yuck! I come to camp to get away from TV), and baby's toys are strewn all over the floor. There are twenty-four small children in camp this year and many of them live in my building. So, there are many babies up early in the morning. I am on the ground floor, adjacent to the lobby with paper-thin walls. Late at night, people come to hang out and use the computer, or to eat ice cream and snacks.

Just as I was feeling sorry for myself about my new room, a former neighbor from my old housing unit came over to me in a panic. Breathing rapidly, she told me that she is claustrophobic and they had placed her in one of the smallest rooms here. She was hoping to switch with me. I, too, am claustrophobic, so I couldn't accommodate her. I helped her make the best of her situation, and returned to my room with a whole new appreciation! I actually felt lucky.

With my new positive attitude, I changed my room around to make it feel more spacious. I felt appreciation for the woman with whom I share a bathroom. She is neat and considerate and checks in with me about shower schedules to make sure it works for me. I am so grateful for that!

I know that to some degree, I will enjoy the social life at night. My other room did get lonely sometimes, and I do have a room with a door to close when the noise and gossip get to be too much. I am now one building away from the art room, so I can go back and forth to work in seconds, much easier than my old room. And one more big advantage: my old room was moldy and musty, and I used air fresheners and candles to mask the odors, but the danger of the underlying mold always concerned me. Not in my new room! And there's a frig in the bathroom! My neighbor and I share a passion for morning coffee, so both of our coffee makers sit on top of the frig, half and half ready to go!

I feel hopeful and happy as I am about to embark on my first full day in camp. It is truly our thoughts that create our lives, and I am thinking happy positive thoughts. What will you create today to turn around a negative situation?