Respect myself and others

Our little family attended Disney on Ice recently. We love all things Disney and have attended two previous Disney on Ice shows. We got our tickets at a discount through our local Girl Scout council. Part of the event was to attend a sleepover with other Girl Scouts after the show.

Punky and I arrived before the designated check-in time. We had some trouble with our tickets, as did a few others, but this was quickly fixed. After dropping off our sleepover gear and coats, we had plenty of time before the show. Even hubby arrived in plenty of time before the show. We got our popcorn and drinks, found our seats, and settled in to enjoy a fun evening of Disney magic.

The show was great for the first 45 minutes, then this huge group of late-comers finally showed up to disrupt the magic. They took forever to get seated, blocking our view. I don't think they ever settled down. Some of the older girls kept running up and down the aisle. The younger girls couldn't sit still. It was quite distracting.

At one point, I'd had enough and politely, but curtly, asked the girl in front of me to sit down and be still. This only made her more annoying. She kept turning around and staring at us. I asked her to turn around. She glared at me and asked me if I could be nicer. She said she was a Girl Scout. I said I was, too. I wanted to ask her if she knew what it meant to be respectful of others. Clearly, she didn't.

I always want my troop, and especially my daughter, to set the example of what a Girl Scout is. I expect them to "live by the Girl Scout Law." I felt this group, but especially this particular girl, wasn't respecting herself or others. My impression was that they were a group of poor kids not used to going to public shows. I felt sorry for them. They didn't know how to behave and they were dirty. There was a distinct odor coming from their row of seats. I wasn't mean to her or anyone in her group, because they are my sister Girl Scouts, but I felt the adults could have had the decency to show up on time and expect the girls to behave.

I'm glad this group of girls was able to attend the show, though. It was an experience many of them may not have had if it were not for Girl Scouts. I like that Girl Scouts enables girls to experience new and different things, and exposes girls to all kinds of people. Punky got to see that not all Girl Scouts are like her or her troop mates. Some come from wealthier backgrounds, others from poorer. There were girls of different races at the show and spending the night together as sisters in Girl Scouts. I love that Girl Scouts share a common bond.