This bit of wisdom was one of the very first pieces of advice shared with us when Debbie and I began full-time residential work with teenagers. I still pass on this advice to new volunteers and staff as soon as they begin here at MYC. I still remind myself sometimes. Electricity goes out, vans break down, staff gets sick, and kids wander off. Snap decisions and immediate adjustments are expected. Panic never helps. Planning ahead and prayer are essential. Communication is critical. (What did we do before cell phones?) Kids or parents panic, but staff cannot. Creativity is crucial when there isn't a policy for a specific situation.
“Joey” was a second grade boy who was with a group of us on a trip to the Memphis Zoo. We had divided into three groups of two adults and eight MYC Club kids. It was a crowded day at the zoo and we made our usual numerous stops at the restrooms. While Debbie stayed a few feet away watching the elephants with the kids who didn't need the restroom, I waited by the restroom door for the kids who had gone in. My instructions to them were to come out to me as soon as they were finished. What we didn't know was that this particular restroom had another entrance on the other side of the building! “Joey” got turned around in the restroom and didn't come out with the others. After a short wait, I went into the restroom to find him but he was gone! I noticed the other entrance and went out but he wasn't there waiting for me either! Now it was time to fight the instinct to panic.
While I was searching through the crowd, my little group joined with Debbie and we put the rest of our group on a nearby merry-go round. All kinds of thoughts go through your mind in those seconds, but it would make things worse for the kids to see your fear, so distracting them with something fun and reassuring them that we would find “Joey” was our adjustment. We were already silently praying, and as soon as the kids were getting on the ride with Debbie, I started to look for him while I began to call our other groups. I hadn't even finished dialing when my phone rang. The group leader asked me if I knew that one of our kids wasn't with us. “Joey” had wandered away from the restroom and was crying, but had been spotted within a couple of minutes by our alert staffers. The crisis was over! I thank God for the answer to prayer, I thank the MYC staff for being vigilant, and from now on we will always escort our kids in and out of public restrooms!
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