Y Talk: The Doors I’ve Opened by Regan Meals

It’s often said that the journey matters more than the destination; that how you reach your goal, your end, is what changes and grows you. And, like that common cliché told time and time again, before a locked door is a hallway—a long, meandering road, a journey.

I began going to Carlisle Family YMCA summer camp around age nine, and I stuck around; I was a kid, and what kid didn’t enjoy summer camp? Through the camp, I managed to sign up for a leadership program. From there, the two-week leadership program led into a counselor-in-training program—a shift from being a camper to actually working at the camp—kickstarting the domino effect. It was a lot, going from a camper to a volunteer—six weeks working somewhere new for the first three, overnight for the last three weeks, completely out of my comfort zone. But it was manageable; I didn’t have the full responsibility of the job itself (yet). I was there to help the counselors and learn how to be a counselor in the future, and I did just that. Naturally, the next step after being a counselor-in-training was to apply as a full-time counselor.

After a while, you’ve wandered the hallway long enough that the end’s closer than the beginning, so why stop halfway?

It was difficult, especially the first few days, going from a kid only responsible for herself to a working woman responsible for herself and several campers, a sink-or-swim moment, for sure; I would be lying if I said I wasn’t brought to the brink of giving up more than a few times. Homesickness, uncomfortable accommodation and high expectations, depending on others and difficult personalities—it drowned me. But, eventually, the weight of the water surrounding me lessened; as I became used to the routine, I was able to step into my job and thrive. I tried to model my behavior after the counselors I had looked up to years ago; they must’ve known what they were doing if they’re the reason I came back every year. I learned not only to deal with my homesickness, but others, as well—especially easy after you realize you’ve been in that exact same situation before. I enjoyed working alongside my fellow counselors, my friend—there was a sense of community, ‘we’re all in this together.’ I was able to take my passions and inspire those that I led—and that’s what I had become by the end of it, someone completely different. (unrecognizable on first glance, and if not the first, then at least second). In short, I became a leader.

And at the end of it, I was (am) left with yet another long, meandering road—a few more waiting doors, open and closed, armed with the lessons and resilience built from the journey past.

-by Regan Meals