By: Lime Green Giraffe Webmaster, Meghan K.
It’s kind of weird being a senior in
high school. On one hand, it’s exciting; you’re finally going to be out of
school, you’re about to get a lot more independence, and for a lot of folks,
there’s college to look forward to. But it also means a lot of change. For
some, that change could be moving to a new city; for others, it’s leaving their
friends or watching their friends move away; and for most, it’s a complete
change of pace from their life in high school. For me, that change is leaving
all the activities I’ve been involved in: musical theatre, the dance studio
I’ve been going to on and off since I was four, and, perhaps most jarringly,
the Lime Green Giraffe.
I found the Lime Green Giraffe through their 2014 Writer’s Workshop when
I was in the seventh grade. My mom was the one who suggested it to me—in fact,
she’d found the Lime Green Giraffe when I was in Brownies and had been
hinting that I should join the committee since I’d become old enough—and
although I was hesitant at first, I decided to go to the workshop. There was no
long-term commitment, some of the girls from my troop would be going with me,
and I didn’t have to publish anything I wrote—that afternoon was completely
risk-free. What I didn’t know was that they’d be handing out applications that
day, and that I would enjoy the workshop so much that I started filling out my
application right then and there. I spent the next few weeks working on a
sample of my best writing, trying to get my forms in order, and then waiting to
hear back.
I still remember my first Lime Green Giraffe meeting. From the moment I
turned my application in weeks before to the moment I walked into the building,
I was incredibly nervous. After all, this was the first time in years that I’d
really strayed out of my comfort zone, and the first time that I’d ever shared
my writing for a wider audience. Were the other staffers going to like my
writing? Were they going to like me? What if the readers hated my
writing? And then there were other unknowns that troubled me, like what kinds
of things we were supposed to write about—did it just have to be Girl Scout
stuff or could we write about other things?—and what non-writing things we were
expected to do—basically, what if I just wasn’t cut out for being on the LGG?
But those questions were answered immediately, and as I finally settled in, I
found myself counting the days between meetings, desperately waiting for the
next time we’d get together.
That first year flew by fast, and before I knew it, I was staying on for
a second year, and then a third and fourth. I joined the leadership team in
2017 as the Photography Editor and stayed on this year as the Webmaster, a
position I almost applied for in my first year; I’ve published 28 different
articles on topics from National Novel Writers’ Month to perfectionism to
jazzing up a pair of plain sneakers with Sharpies; I’ve gone to the Volunteer
Leadership Conference three times; I’ve attended four of the very same
workshops that brought me to the Giraffe; and I even persuaded my younger sister
to join last year. So many things have happened that I haven’t expected over
the past five years.
The idea of leaving the LGG isn’t an idea I like to entertain very long.
After all, the only activity I’ve ever stuck with longer than the Lime Green
Giraffe has been Girl Scouts itself, which I’ve been in for twelve years. When
your life changes as much as mine seems to, staying involved in things for very
long is challenging, so when you find a good groove, you’ll do anything to stay
in it. And that’s what I did.
Whenever someone asks me why I stayed on the Giraffe for so long, I give
them a few reasons. The first is that it allows me to share my passions. I
wrote an article about improv (improvisational theatre) last year and not only
did it give me the opportunity to share my experience trying a new and
challenging art form, but it also allowed me to teach other people about
something I’m deeply passionate and point them in the direction of something
they might enjoy. I’ve had the opportunity to share what it’s like to be
homeschooled, which not a lot of people are familiar with and some aren’t even
aware of; I’ve taught people how to survive travelling to Europe, a concept
that can seem daunting if you’ve never done it; and I’ve even told the story of
how I almost quit musical theatre, one of my favorite hobbies. I love sharing
those stories with others and introducing them to things they may never have
heard of.
In the same vein, being on the Lime Green Giraffe has allowed me to
share my more difficult personal experiences and help others going through some
of the same things. I’ve contributed to the “Ask Gigi” column more often than
not, I’ve shared my struggles with perfectionism, I’ve shared the things that I
wish people had told me when I started driving—being on the Lime Green Giraffe
has given me a voice I can use to help others, even if it’s just making them
feel like they’re less alone.
The Lime Green Giraffe has also been a stable point in my life. Over the
past five years, I’ve gone from middle to high school, worked my way through no
less than five identity crises, watched my confidence yoyo from up to down and
back up again, gotten braces twice, bridged from Cadettes to Seniors and then
from Seniors to Ambassadors, and I’ve watched my life change so much that I
can’t believe that all of those things happened to the same girl. But even in
the craziest times, when I’ve been trying to juggle musical theatre, school, and
regular teenage life all at the same time, the Lime Green Giraffe has always
been there as an oasis from the universe’s insanity; I can always count on the
LGG to be safe, fun, and carefree.
The best thing about being on the Lime Green Giraffe, though, is the
people. The staffers that I’ve had the honor of working with over the past five
years are phenomenally talented, funny, kind, and supportive individuals. We’ve
shared ideas, watched each other grow as writers, gone on some of the most amazing
field trips, laughed together, cried together, and made memories that I’ll
never forget. Our adult volunteers—Marnye, Melissa, and Jo—keep us (mostly)
sane, together, and on track and make sure that everything that we want to do
can be done. I cannot express with words how lucky I am to have gotten to work
with these people.
I definitely haven’t covered everything I could possibly say about the
LGG, and to be honest, I don’t think I could, even with a hard drive with
unlimited space and enough dictionaries to fill a library. So I’m just going to
say this; being on the Lime Green Giraffe has been one of the most rewarding
experiences of my life. I’ve gotten to work with amazing people, step out of my
comfort zone, and share my ideas and experiences with the world. I’m certain
that when I look back on my time on the Giraffe in the future, I’ll remember
these days with a smile.
