Good Rebel? Part1
Recently, I was described to as a “Rebel” by one of my leaders. Maybe he noticed the troubled look his description drew from me or maybe it didn’t sound right in his to him once he had said it, because he quickly pointed out that that we need some good rebels. I didn’t see it as the right time engage him in a possibly heated discussion about rebellion and loyalty so a smiled and let it goes. But, now almost 2 months later that conversation sits unresolved on the edges of my Attention Deficit ridden mind.
There have been events and actions that I have taken part in that have been rebellious. When I was working camp one year the Salvation Army’s leader for the state had been changed and they scheduled the installation to take place in the middle of the day while camp was in session. To accommodate this installation they rescheduled every camp activity so the campers would be away from the event. This limited the activities available to the campers and created a less save environment for them. It also forced most of the staff to work extra time in order to assure that the campers were indeed safe.
At the time I was angry and I was not alone, most of the camp staff was upset about this. This same camp director had spent all our orientation repeating the mantra “camp is for the campers”. Yet we treated them as little more than an inconvenience when someone ‘who was really important’ was to be installed.
So the night before the installation I got together with many of the senior staff members and we took all the benches that had been meticulously cleaned and straightened for the installation and moved the to the field and spelled out the words “Install This!” I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun. It felt good ‘sticking it to the man’ and rebelling against something that I believe to this day was wrong.
But I have grown some and I am no longer interested in the rush of challenging authority. My goal is to effect change to make a difference. The process of truly making a difference seldom includes a ‘rush’ and it is often not fun in fact it occasionally hurts.
The man who was my camp director is a person who I have grown to respect deeply and whether was right or wrong in this instance is irrelevant. We didn’t change anything the installation went on as scheduled a many staff members did even more work to put the benches back.
There have been events and actions that I have taken part in that have been rebellious. When I was working camp one year the Salvation Army’s leader for the state had been changed and they scheduled the installation to take place in the middle of the day while camp was in session. To accommodate this installation they rescheduled every camp activity so the campers would be away from the event. This limited the activities available to the campers and created a less save environment for them. It also forced most of the staff to work extra time in order to assure that the campers were indeed safe.
At the time I was angry and I was not alone, most of the camp staff was upset about this. This same camp director had spent all our orientation repeating the mantra “camp is for the campers”. Yet we treated them as little more than an inconvenience when someone ‘who was really important’ was to be installed.
So the night before the installation I got together with many of the senior staff members and we took all the benches that had been meticulously cleaned and straightened for the installation and moved the to the field and spelled out the words “Install This!” I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun. It felt good ‘sticking it to the man’ and rebelling against something that I believe to this day was wrong.
But I have grown some and I am no longer interested in the rush of challenging authority. My goal is to effect change to make a difference. The process of truly making a difference seldom includes a ‘rush’ and it is often not fun in fact it occasionally hurts.
The man who was my camp director is a person who I have grown to respect deeply and whether was right or wrong in this instance is irrelevant. We didn’t change anything the installation went on as scheduled a many staff members did even more work to put the benches back.
Rebellion seldom impacts true change.
posted by Steve Carroll @ 8:48 AM
1 Comments:
Of course, and Josh will tell you, things like this are funnier the night after, even the said director said that. Wait... um... no. Because the following year we homaged that with Inspect This! Only to have it torn down by a rather upset camp director's wife. Though when it was explained, and that we were acting on his advice, he couldn't help but crack a smile.
But I remain impressed by the verve with which you acted upon. And I still tell the tale today.
As per the idea of rebellion, your right in how much change it rarely enacts. However, it is necessary. Sometimes things just need to be rebelled against for our own sanity, so that we may change and mature.
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