I only made it through two uniforms in the lineup

brownie and junior scout

with aspirations to go all the way through

beginning as a brownie (fun!)

 officially  becoming a junior scout

after my ‘flying up’ ceremony 

I imagined all kinds of adventure

canoeing, camping, first aid, parades, hiking, building fires, survival, rescues…

earning badges galore

anything was possible

bring it on!

but  

 my leader had a different vision 

of what a junior scout should do and be

we made a lot of crafts

like oranges with cloves stuck in them

(pomaders)

to use in closets at home

each week I looked forward to the announcement of what was to come

yet it was always another craft

or making something to eat on foil

literally all I remember 

 then the cookie sale

 I was really quiet and dreaded going door to door

I knew my days in the scouts were numbered

this was not my path

I would need to seek out my own adventure

 and while my path was all over the  place

that’s exactly what I did. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        —

‘I am an aging Girl Scout.’

-amy sedaris, american actor, comedian, and writer