The Sweetest Place on Earth

Thats right, Hershey Park, the land flowing with milk chocolate and money. Every year our swim team goes to work at Hershey park for two weekends for a team fundraiser (to pay for gear and training trips). Well yesterday was my first day working this year at this chocolaty haven of fun and excitement.

Before I get into all the heart warming stories of my time, I need to recognize the real workers for Hershey Park. These people must be the most patient, optimistic people who have ever lived. I could barely last 9 hours, but there are people who go to work at the Super Duper Looper every day. You want to know about a hard job, forget rocket science, try making a living as the Storm Runner Guy.

Like I was saying, I got the wonderful opportunity to work at a peanut butter cup paradise. So let me share just a few key moments of my day. At 9am I was assigned to the thrilling ride: Tiny Tracks. Now Tiny Tracks is a little kid ride (Hershey bars or shorter), where a tot-sized train runs around a track two times through per ride, the whole endeavor lasting about 3 minutes a run going at a break neck speed that I could out-walk. So I show up to this ride, where an employee teaches me how to push the button to make it work, and then the masses came and did what they do best. Within the first hour I heard what would become the all too familiar screams of children being forced to take pictures with the weird smiling Hershey bar trying to put his arm around them, not to mention getting on those scary rides like the dreaded Tiny Tracks. Things were coming along just fine, for the first few hours: the bell on the train was ringing incessantly, parents were trying to fit into a seat in the caboose that an eight year old would be uncomfortable in, and of course the wonderful chorus of screaming voices and tear streaked faces (yes, we're still in the sweetest place on earth). But then 2pm rolls around and the rain came. Now among the cacophony of cocoa lovers and chocolaty rides, was a constant downpour. And with every drop of water, the rain was edging nearer and nearer to my already dampened skin. 6pm finally arrives and I leave this sweetened utopia with soaked clothes and a headache. I now have a 45 minute drive left ahead of me, crammed between the broad shoulders of two other swimmers.

After such a day, I grabbed a hot shower and turned in early for church the next morning. Well, I got to church the next morning and low and behold the sermon topic: Struggling with Grumbling and Complaining. Man, isn't life great.