When it comes to adventures, the most epic and exciting are the unexpected. When I arrived at Indigo for my 4 p.m. Wednesday shift, I surely didn't expect the journey that lay ahead. While it wouldn't necessarily be epic, it was undoubtedly exciting - for me at least.
This was especially true considering that I had wandered into the store in a not-that-unusually restless state, prepared for the normalities of keeping up a bookstore. As that inevitable routine that we all begin to succumb to at work took its hold on me, I began reading the communications log. I was making a very studious attempt to absorb its vital information, when Joan, the Volunteer Coordinator at Indigo, approached me with a nervous look, almost one of chagrin.
Apparently, the local thespians who had volunteered to give a dramatic reading of Jumanji to McPhee Elementary students had backed out at the last minute. I don't remember if I volunteered, or if Joan begged me to take their place in a last-ditch try at finding someone who could do some semblance of acting. Either way, I
thought to myself, "Hey! I can make my voice go up and down in volume and pitch in a dramatic fashion! Elementary school students aren't exactly reviewers for the New York Times theatre section anyway." So Joan and I proceeded to loudly practice reading the book in the store, prompting Adam, one of our baristas, to tell us to shut up under his breath on more than one occasion (apparently, he didn't know that we were rehearsing, so I probably would have been annoyed if I were him too). We totally and radically bent gender norms by reading the lines for the characters of opposite sex. I felt, like the kids in Jumanji, that I was heading into a perilous land rife with mayhem, getting lost, and tropical diseases.
We took care of last minute logistics, like filtering out which discussion questions would be too boring, what crafts to take, which vocabulary words really needed to be discussed, and buying a Safari hat for the vocabulary safari the kids were about to take. Oh! I almost forgot the completely awesome Jumanji game we made out of some cardboard, markers, and dice stolen from Ivanna Cone. Joan, our PowerPoint technician John, and I unloaded our projector and crafts at McPhee and set forth to eat free pizza (Finally, the excitement begins!). During the meal, the cafeteria full of kids and parents was warned by the Community Learning Center supervisor that they would be getting their money's worth (it was free; actually, each family got a free book, so they were technically getting compensation to sit through this). I actually thought it was pretty good that he said that so that nobody had unrealistic expectations.
ANYWAY! "And the performance?" you ask? Oh, well, I guess if there were a Nobel Peace Prize in dramatic interpretation of a children's book, Joan and I probably would have won. Although there was some discomfort when I explained that the vocab phrase "sleeping sickness", contrary to what you'd expect, makes you sleep forever, everyone seemed into it. Supposedly the media specialist there has video of the event, so if that ever gets released, I would recommend watching it instead of the major motion picture. No CGI or Robin Williams, but a lot of hilariously awkward attempts at coinciding our emotive actions, including me nearly pushing Joan over in a fit of fear over a stampede of Rhinos.
Alright, so now is the part where I try to make some vaguely connected parallel between my experience and Jumanji. As with the book's heroes, Judy and Peter, Joan and I learned the importance of finishing what you start. Risk of embarrassment is a lot like the dangerous animals and deadly natural phenomena in Jumanji; it will keep following you and challenging you unless you keep playing the game. Once you reach the Golden City and all that was afflicting you disappears, you'll probably end up having had fun. Maybe you'll end up with an awesome safari hat, or maybe a little girl who draws a picture she claims is of you but really looks like a demented version of the Planter's Peanut guy with puff-balls on it. Oh yeah, don't you dare forget the free pizza!
I take back what I said earlier; this adventure was TOTALLY epic!
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