Post Mortem: Arcadia Teen Week 2010, A Cry For Help!

1. No One Died!

2. I dropped another 5 LBS (Now weighing in at sporting 174.

3. No One Died (I am not getting enough props for that).

4. Figured Out I Have to Quit My Job Sooner Rather Then Later.

5. Had Great Time

I think that is a nut shell of the week. Got up there late Friday and drank too much at Riggers (formerly The Big Apple). Went to Counselor training on Saturday and then....drank too much at Riggers with the high school counselors and the prior weeks counselors (8th grade week) during the much heralded "crossover". Had a really nice worship service Sunday morning with all the people I drank with the night before which tends to be the best worship I do the whole year. There is something about having a service with people you really love. I realize that one of the things that makes this place great for me is that no one expects anything of me other then to be me. I have no deliverables for the week other then to be me... and not kill any kids. In light of my feelings that my partners have no interest at all in me being me and are only interested in my deliverables (harvestable organs) this feels empowering. Or at least it sucks less. No... I think it feels (felt) good.

It is a nightmare being away from work for a week. No matter how good of a jobyou do covering bases part of what I do is being there when my clients need me. When I am not, thongs often do not go well. But I unplugged for a week and hung around with 11 kids. The hallmark to being in my group is the group motto, "When Things Get Hard We quit". Next year I will have it put in Latin on their t-shirts like a crest. Instead, my group, Group B had shirts that said B-Attidues: "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 3:5. One of my favorites from the Sermon On The Mount. Anyway, the kids did not seem to internalize my message of qutting and over all lassitude and they...they...well, I don't really want to talk about it....they won things.

They pulled together as a group, showed leadership, fortitude, everything a Becker lacks. It was...humiliating for me. Very nice group though populated by a Division I basketball prospect and three other Seniors and two musicians (one rocker and one sensitive indie boy) and just really nice people. It always amazes me how nice, talented, involved parents seem to have nice kids. It is excellent for me to sit around and talk religion, politics, morality, dating, education and anything else with them because they all tend to be reasonably well grounded. I like my kids a lot but it is humbling when your surrounded by 11 kids and think that it would not be a bad deal to call any of them your own.

Bottom line...great week. Helps put life in perspective and in a time when everyopne i hanging their heads talking about the economy and limited prospects and selling out our children with our debt... I think that we do not have so much to worry about. The kids are all right. Arguably, so are we.

The kids arrive Sunday starting at about 2:00. I went home and napped. They arrive and we mill around as they register trying to figure out who is in our group. I knew i had a couple of musicians, a real jock, a cottage colony kid (2) and otherwise they were indistinguishable for me.