#2 - The Summer of Traditions

     Over the summer, I experienced something that not only blessed me with new friends, but prepared me for my future. When I received the phone call from a local American Legion representative, I hadn't expected to hear what I heard. It is true that I had hoped that someone from the board of representatives would acknowledge my family's history and select me to represent them at the American Legion Girls State over the summer. But in truth, I hadn't actually believed that I would receive a nomination; still to this day, I don't know who nominated me. To be nominated, you must have a member of your family that once was a part or is currently a part of the military service. Nevertheless, because of this anonymous nomination and surprising phone call, I was able to travel to the college in Charleston, Illinois over the summer.
      When someone typically describes their experience at Girls State, they mention how "the other girls with you will become your best friends" and " I learned so much and it really changed my life!" After I was asked by the representative to attend Girls State, I had second thoughts that maybe I didn't really want it to "change my life." I was having a great time by simply working and spending time with my friends over the summer. When the time came to actually leave to Charleston for a week, I hadn't even packed until the day before. My stomach churned with the thought of being away from my family for a week. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that as soon as I went away, something dreadful would happen and I would regret leaving. The main reason that I ventured on and decided to embark on my trip was that I also wished to carry on the family tradition. My mother had gone to Girls State when she was my age; a few of my great-aunts on my father's side had also attended. I wanted to be able to say to them all that I had also went to Girls State. I wanted to have the same experience under my belt as they did.
      Nothing about the first day was how I had imagined it would be. I had been informed that I would be staying in a dorm with another girl who I had never met before, but I hadn't expected that the dorm would be on the highest floor of a nine-story complex. I also hadn't expected to end up rooming with what I can only describe as Malibu Barbie. My roommate's name was Nora and she was really tan and really blonde and really thin. Surprising enough, she was the one person throughout the week that I could confide in. Nora was nice, as were the other girls on my floor, and I learned her quirks very quickly. Most of the girls came from suburbs of Chicago or closer to Springfield; no one had heard of my small town.
       After meeting the other girls, the first thing you learn at Girls State is who is in your "town." Each couple floors represents a county, with each hallway of the complex representing your town. There were four towns per county. My county was named Henricks and I was residing in Burns City. The hallway of my town was decorated with pink streamers and large posters of old Hollywood movie stars. When it came time to decide what we wanted for our city flag, we ended up drawing a large picture of Audrey Hepburn saluting our town. Later, we all had to put on dress clothes and report downstairs to where some women would guide us to the banquet hall for our opening dinner and orientation.
     Returning to the ninth floor was a lot harder than it sounded. By the end of the first evening, my feet were sore from the heels I wore and all the girls piled into the elevators like it was a race. Which, it did seem like a race when you figure that whoever could get to your floor first had first dibs on the showers. Throughout the entire week, every evening followed that same routine of racing to the top floor. On the third day, one out of the two elevators broke down, leaving over five hundred girls to fight over a single elevator. Luckily, all the girls were respectful to others and there was never an awkward moment when we were together. By meeting so many other girls of my same age, I was pleased to see how easily we all got along.
     On a lighter note, the activities throughout the day were entertaining. We would all attend assemblies together that would last for hours, and we attended about three of those a day. At each assembly, there was an interesting speaker that arrived to enrich our minds with character building speeches and to motivate us to become involved in government as soon as possible. Speakers included teachers and professors, government officials, and retired military veterans. By sitting through many of their speeches, I am now not as uncomfortable in front of a crowd.
      Not only did we attend assemblies, but each morning we stood around the courtyard in silence as the American flag was raised and each night we stood in silence as it was taken down.  We had to place votes and elect people into different parties. My job that I was assigned was a Judge of Election, which enabled me to conduct the elections for my town. I ended up having to also count the ballots and travel between the ninth floor and the lobby three-times more often than most girls. I also took part in the choir at Girls State. We performed two songs at the last afternoon of assemblies and I sang a solo.
     The experience I had at Girls State was not something that I would ever wish to withdrawal. Although it sounds like it was more work than play, which it was, I felt important by just being there. I was able to meet many older, sophisticated women and I felt almost like a debutant. Being at the college in Charleston with all the girls and officials made the entire experience seem almost surreal. There was  something different in the air there than there is where I live, almost like the tradition of all the girls before you inspires you to stand a little straighter and smile wider. When I walked through the halls of the lobby, I walked with purpose because I knew that my own mother had also walked the same lobby. I won't say that the experience changed my life, but I will say that it added significant color and knowledge to my summer.