Questions that challenge

During the course of the last couple days one of the campers asked some questions that forced me to think, and had me talking about things I normally don't talk about.  The camper asked:

1.  Do you ever want kids?

2.  Are you married?

3.  Do you ever want to get married?

4.  Aren't you afraid of being alone?

The question about kids is something that I have thought about before, but never really had to explain to a kid.  It was hard to explain to the camper that the kids I work with here at Pillsbury are like my kids.  I love them and enjoy teaching them new things and helping them to grow.  It's hard to explain how much fun I have with them, how much I care about them, and that I also like having time when I don't have to worry or think about them.

The are you married question was much easier to handle.  Of course it brought up the whole dating and wanting to get married questions.  This was one of those moments that got me thinking about, if and when I do start dating, what qualities I'm looking for.  To explain that to a kids who hasn't entered the world of dating, marriage and how hard it is to just figure out what you're doing with your life is much harder than it seems.

The final question the camper asked was one I hadn't expected.  I wouldn't have ever thought about how to answer this one if the camper hadn't asked it.  As a child, most of us were afraid of the dark, of heights, of monsters under the bed, of being left behind, of not being loved or cared for, or of something else.  I can understand why some people might be scared of never being loved or cared for, or of being alone their whole life.  My answer to that final question was surprisingly simple.  I need my alone time.  I also get to spend most of my days working with people who I enjoy being around and working with.  I get to work with a group of kids who often surprise me, who enjoy the positive attention, who challenge me to push them to be better, and who remind me to smile and how to have fun.  It is because I have these kids and these co-workers that I'm not afraid of being alone.  I might start dating in two weeks, or it could be another twenty-six years, but as long as there are people around me who will care about me, and who I can care about, that is what matters.