Amy wanted us to post about our worst callings. Honestly, aside from the tedium of so frequently being called to play piano, most of my callings weren't too bad, and there were some that I downright loved, like being counselor in the Young Women presidency. That's the only calling where I actually cried when I got released, because I loved it so very much. Working with the Beehives was so much fun.
But two callings stand out when I look back at some, well, not-so-pleasant callings.
The first was when, as a fairly new member of the church, I was called to be Singles YA rep for the family ward I attended with my Mom and siblings. I was always very shy and quiet, and this calling was agonizing for me. I mentioned a few posts back about a dance I was responsible for, where 3 people were there, one of whom was my friend and another was the male Singles YA rep for our ward, and the last was me. It was horrible. I obediently went to dances even though I was an overweight clumsy shy afraid-of-her-own-shadow type of person, and I was the perfect epitome of the wallflower. I remember once getting up my nerve and asking some guy to dance, and he shot me down. His excuse: it was Stairway to Heaven, and he wouldn't dance to that song because if you played it backwards there were satanic messages. I slunk back to my corner, red-faced and shamed because I dared ask him to dance to a song that was obviously so inappropriate but at the same time wondering why, if it were so inappropriate, were they playing it at a church dance. And I will confess that I always thought the idea of playing records backwards and hearing satanic messages was just kind of stupid. I mean, who plays records backwards? Anyway, I don't remember the details of being released from that calling. I think I just sort of stopped doing it because it was such a disaster, and then I moved, and it didn't matter anymore. Hated that calling. That's one that had they ever tried again to call me to something similar, I would have refused it.
Another calling that was pretty sucktastic was that of ward young women's camp director. I actually enjoyed working with the young women, and the pre-camp stuff was all right. Camp itself, though, yuck. I didn't get to be with the girls from my ward, and the girls I was responsible for came from a ward in a posh area, and they were snotty little stinkers. I got badly sunburned. I had trouble sleeping at night. My period started. And then there was the hike--the really, really long hike, and I collapsed and couldn't go any further and had to be picked up and hauled back to camp to spend time in the infirmary cabin. I think I had mild heat stroke. I was never so happy to get home in my life!
Other callings included relief society teacher, sunday school teacher, primary teacher, nursery leader, activities committee chair, visiting teaching supervisor, visiting teaching coordinator, primary pianist, relief society pianist, "sister friendly" in primary, and whatever the primary thing for girls (like mutual only for primary aged girls) was called, I don't remember now. It wasn't a calling, but I was in the choir in most of my wards as well. Serving was fun, and/or beneficial, in most of the callings, and I don't think I complained. I was pretty good at keeping my thoughts to myself.
So there's my story. What's yours?
But two callings stand out when I look back at some, well, not-so-pleasant callings.
The first was when, as a fairly new member of the church, I was called to be Singles YA rep for the family ward I attended with my Mom and siblings. I was always very shy and quiet, and this calling was agonizing for me. I mentioned a few posts back about a dance I was responsible for, where 3 people were there, one of whom was my friend and another was the male Singles YA rep for our ward, and the last was me. It was horrible. I obediently went to dances even though I was an overweight clumsy shy afraid-of-her-own-shadow type of person, and I was the perfect epitome of the wallflower. I remember once getting up my nerve and asking some guy to dance, and he shot me down. His excuse: it was Stairway to Heaven, and he wouldn't dance to that song because if you played it backwards there were satanic messages. I slunk back to my corner, red-faced and shamed because I dared ask him to dance to a song that was obviously so inappropriate but at the same time wondering why, if it were so inappropriate, were they playing it at a church dance. And I will confess that I always thought the idea of playing records backwards and hearing satanic messages was just kind of stupid. I mean, who plays records backwards? Anyway, I don't remember the details of being released from that calling. I think I just sort of stopped doing it because it was such a disaster, and then I moved, and it didn't matter anymore. Hated that calling. That's one that had they ever tried again to call me to something similar, I would have refused it.
Another calling that was pretty sucktastic was that of ward young women's camp director. I actually enjoyed working with the young women, and the pre-camp stuff was all right. Camp itself, though, yuck. I didn't get to be with the girls from my ward, and the girls I was responsible for came from a ward in a posh area, and they were snotty little stinkers. I got badly sunburned. I had trouble sleeping at night. My period started. And then there was the hike--the really, really long hike, and I collapsed and couldn't go any further and had to be picked up and hauled back to camp to spend time in the infirmary cabin. I think I had mild heat stroke. I was never so happy to get home in my life!
Other callings included relief society teacher, sunday school teacher, primary teacher, nursery leader, activities committee chair, visiting teaching supervisor, visiting teaching coordinator, primary pianist, relief society pianist, "sister friendly" in primary, and whatever the primary thing for girls (like mutual only for primary aged girls) was called, I don't remember now. It wasn't a calling, but I was in the choir in most of my wards as well. Serving was fun, and/or beneficial, in most of the callings, and I don't think I complained. I was pretty good at keeping my thoughts to myself.
So there's my story. What's yours?
Thanks! I would have hated both of those callings as well. I did like silly camp songs though.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't get how, if it comes from God, it could so terribly match your personality.
ReplyDeleteugggh. luckily, i managed to avoid basically everything expect beehive president. my mom made me attend every damn activity so i could be a good example. jokes on her. hehehe.
ReplyDeleteMy worst calling was my most recent, which ultimately lead to me going inactive and then to total disbelief. I was an assistant to the bishop. At first, I was only responsible for counting tithing and writing welfare checks. Soon, the bishop began piling on more and more to do. I was literally at church all day on sunday and a couple of times during the week. Pointless, boring meetings. Busy work. I very quickly got burnt out.
ReplyDeleteMy worst calling was having to work with LDS Social Services and be the person who had to talk the unmarried pregnant sisters in my stake into giving up their babies for adoption. When they told me about it I immediately had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I prayed. I fasted. It never EVER sat right in my gut to bully those girls out of their babies. The training provided for me was pretty incredible and intense and the pressure I was expected to exert was horrible. I couldn't do it. That was nearing the end for me. That calling and the beginnings of the Prop 8 homophobic witch hunt made it all come to a close for me way back then.
ReplyDelete