A Hobby for Lola

A Hobby for Lola

'Mom, I'm home! I need your help." She explained that she had been assigned a project where she would have to write a report about her favourite hobby or sport. Lola did not have one and was feeling very anxious about that.

'Don't worry Lola," said Mom. 'There is plenty of time to find something that you like. What are you interested in?" Lola thought but didn't come up with one single thing. All she could think about was Susie, who danced, and Eric, who played flag football, and all of the other kids in class who probably had so much to write about.

That night Lola decided to look through the local newspaper. COME JOIN US FOR CERAMICS THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, ALL AGES WELCOME. This was it! This would be her hobby. She could barely contain her excitement when she asked her mom if she would take her to ceramics. 'Absolutely!" exclaimed mom. 'What a great idea."

Lola and her mom left a little early to make sure that they would get a good seat. Lola noticed that the teacher kind of looked like her grandmother, which made her feel very comfortable. She thought to herself how lucky she was to find a hobby so quickly and imagined going with her mom every Saturday.

Everyone was concentrating and it was very quiet in the room. So, they painted. Mom looked like she was having a lot of fun but, quite honestly, Lola was feeling really bored. She told mom on the way home. Mom said, It's okay, keep trying Lola!"

Lola's mom always gave good advice, so she decided not to get discouraged. They stopped on the way home for a milkshake and spotted a sign hanging on the building. SOFTBALL TRYOUTS APRIL 9TH, 10:00 A.M., BACKUS COMMUNITY FIELD Mom looked over and said, 'Yes, Lola. I will bring you to the tryouts."

They practiced hitting and catching the ball all week.

They signed in and eagerly waited in the stands for Lola's name to be called. They watched as the other girls got up to bat. Lola had never actually played softball before. She thought, 'What am I doing here? What was I thinking?" Her name was called. She got up and slowly walked down the bleachers. She picked up the bat, stepped up to the plate and tried to mirror what she had seen the other girls doing. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Lola's eyes started fill up, but she held back the tears. The time came for her to be in the outfield and, needless to say, she didn't catch any balls.

Afterwards, the names of the girls who had made the team were announced. Lola's name was not called. Mom gave her the usual pep talk. She was proud of her for trying. Lola didn't feel so proud. What was she going to do now?

Lola spent the next couple of weeks trying different sports and hobbies. There were some things she was not good at. Some things just simply didn't interest her. She thought that maybe she should just take a break from it all and decided to go visit her Grandma for a while.

Grandma baked lots of cookies and planned all kinds of activities. She was always so talented. They got up early in the morning to go for a walk to the lake. Lola decided at that time to tell Grandma about her report. She listened intently. 'Grandma, you have so many talents", Lola said. 'How did you learn everything, and did it all come easily to you?"

She laughed. 'Oh! No dear. It took me many years to learn everything that I know, and I wasn't always good at everything I tried." Grandma explained that her mom taught her how to quilt and how to cook. But, some of the most important things she learned in life came while she was in the Girl Scouts.

Lola's eyes grew wide. They sat in the sand at the lake that day and talked for longer than Lola could ever remember talking to Grandma all at once. She told Lola all kinds of stories about her days as a Girl Scout, about earning badges, camping trips, crafting, and all kinds of adventures she encountered with her 'sister" Girl Scouts. She explained that was what they called each other. Lola didn't want to get her hopes up too high again, but maybe this could be something she could write her report on. But first she would have to figure out how to become a Girl Scout.

When she got home from Grandma's, mom had already done the necessary research for her, and Lola would be attending her very first meeting the following night.

Lola's uniform consisted of a green vest with a green insignia tab on the top left-hand shoulder. The tab held the World Trefoil Pin on top and the Girl Scout Pin underneath. Tonight the girls would be earning a Science in Action Badge. The leader explained that they would be going to visit a farm to learn how it uses science in growing crops.

At the start the meeting, the girls all got together in a circle, raised their right hands with three fingers up, which is the Girl Scout Sign, and recited the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law.

The farm owners showed everyone around the farm and taught them all kind of interesting things. Lola learned, she laughed and felt like she fit right in.

The close of the meeting consisted of the girls all singing a song. Lola said goodbye to her new friends and ran to my mom's car to tell her all about the night.

'Mom, I've never had so much fun in my life. I love being a Girl Scout!" exclaimed Lola.

'Mom said, 'I knew you would find something you love. Sometimes it just means trying again and never giving up."

On the day the assignments were to be handed in, the teacher said, 'Lola, I was so impressed by what you went through this summer to find your hobby that I was hoping that you wouldn't mind if I read it aloud."

Lola thought to herself, 'I may not have been good at softball, but this was definitely a Home Run!"

- Kelly Martin