Matt's note: This one is planned to be part of a summer camp horror play.
TOLERANCE (any gender, late teens to late twenties)
So for today's morning meeting, I've been asked to talk about Tolerance. I'm new to this camp but just like Stan said, you all have a great opportunity, here: You all get to be in a place where we all are accepted.
And anyone does something that makes you mad, this is the place where you get to work that out rather than reject that person or fight them. It's a huge plus to be able to do that at a young age. You can actually talk to that person and learn more about the situation, work through misunderstandings.
But listen: I'm not saying it's easy. It's a challenge that we ALL take on. I get mad all the time. The sports shed? You all probably never consider this but I have to make sure that thing is clean every day. When you all leave equipment lying around on the field... I mean, that's my thing to work through, that's my chance to practice tolerance because my mind-- wheeeeew, when I'm cleaning up that field all by myself and everybody else has gone to the dining hall, my mind- ha!- my mind just goes nuts thinking all kinds of stuff like
huh, that isn't cool, it just isn't COOL
or
hey I NEVER do this when borrowing supplies from other departments so like "what the flip?"
or
[getting faster and faster]
Yeah, am I the ONLY one who was brought up to respect property that isn't mine, but maybe it's because I didn't grow up with a lot of stuff and my parents taught me to value everything that was handed to me and this just might not be a place where the campers OR counselors come from that background, I mean, do any of you pick up ANYTHING at home or do you all have the MAIDS do it, or is it just that I should cancel my sports classes for a day and just throw things on the field for all you other assholes to pick up?!
[pause]
And uh... like I said, that's just what my mind says, that's my tolerance... thing. And that's pretty amazing because we can TALK about these things, here and not... you know... be judged.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes. If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"