Posted by By Oretta Croushore, Property Manager for Home Rental Services
It was a dark and stormy night. Then it got really dark… and really stormy. It sounds like I’m trying my hand at writing scary stories, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, like so many others in the Kansas City Metro area, it was my real life in July 2023.
I was in the middle of Girl Scout day camp.
This was my tenth year volunteering for camp. It was also the first time I remember having to shelter campers because of the weather. We moved them all inside when the lightning breached the distance Girl Scouts says it’s safe to play outside in.
We proceeded to move all camp attendees, kids and adults alike, into one of the campground’s shelters. Those buildings seem spacious when you have twenty people in them. Once you get into the hundreds, they get a little close.
As we were starting to settle in and go through the emergency procedures, the storm came in like it had something to prove. I can’t begin to describe the collective screams that filled the lodge when the power went out. If Monsters, Inc. was correct about kids’ screams being converted to power, our lights should have stayed on. If there were any justice, we should have at least been able to keep the AC running. 300 people, who were already sweaty and being pushed into a building where they don’t all fit, can get hot and smelly pretty fast.
Through it all, the campers remained upbeat and unphased.
Once a camper finishes 5th grade, she becomes a teen leader. The teens plan and lead everything with camp. As staff, we are there to provide adult to child ratios, give some guidance, deal with parents, and handle yucky stuff. Ok, we work our behinds off from January until camp is over in July. We encourage our teens to take a lot of ownership and responsibility for the camp experience. They always impress me. This year, they blew me away.
The teens kept the younger campers occupied with games and songs. The kindergarten unit, who was at camp for the first time, had the best time! I suspect they will be disappointed next year to find out “shelter and sweat in place” is not a tradition.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Meanwhile, back at the ranch I was getting news that our power was out. Then, I received a picture of a huge limb that came down in the back yard. I would later learn that the limb barely missed the shed I have wanted something to fall on for years. The fence didn’t come out as lucky.
Our power ended up being out at the house for four days. A week later, we got hit with another storm. This one took a large limb from the neighbor’s tree and landed it on the corner of our house and covered half of the front yard. At least we got to keep our power that time.
When life hands you lemons, you have a choice to make.
You can be angry that all you got were these stupid lemons. To be honest, this is probably the easier option. At that point, the best thing a lemon can be is a projectile to hurl at the next person who crosses you. Therapeutic? Yes but not very productive.
If you choose to squeeze the daylights out of those lemons, add some sugar and water, you can at least quench your thirst. Hydrated people are happy. It’s science, I’m sure.
Our Girl Scout camp ended up being canceled for the remainder of its scheduled time due to a downed power line at the camp. Seven months of planning for one and half days of camp. Our seniors who were experiencing their last camps, lost out on their full experience.
We didn’t get to have our all camp dinner. The list goes on. Yet, instead of being mad or throwing lemons, I heard singing and games being played. In fact, while we were trying to make sure we had everyone accounted for, young girls were asking us to trade SWAPS with them. Just another day at camp. We make our own fun when we need to.
My neighbor felt horribly guilty for his tree falling on our house.
We were all safe. The tree didn’t come through the roof as it could have. Did I mention we didn’t lose power again? The neighbor channeled his guilt into productivity. During the day, he would come over with his chainsaw for a while and hack away at what he could. When we got done with work, my family and I went out to play the biggest game of Jenga I’ve ever seen, dragging the limbs to the curb. On the weekends, we got out there with our chainsaw. It took us all week working together, but we managed to get all of it off the house and almost everything ready for the tree guy to remove from the curb.
As a property manager, I deal with the unexpected all the time.
At times it’s a major maintenance issue. Other times, it’s a major life event that affects someone’s ability to pay their rent. I have tremendous respect for the people who seem to have a natural ability to bat away those curve balls. I notice they tend to be generally happier people. You might not always have the recipe for the best lemonade ever at your fingertips. If you take a moment to take a deep breath and create a plan, you are one step closer to having a refreshing drink instead of a projectile!
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