Monday, April 14, 2008

for serious

yesterday my new bishop asked me if i wear a bikini at the beach.

come again?

the only way i could have been more surprised is if he had then turned to bim and asked him if he wears a speedo (which he does)* or if he had followed the question with a wink (which he didn't). the bishop wanted to know if i was worthy to work with the ward's young women.

i had to laugh. then i said, no, i don't wear a bikini. but what i wish i had said is: i am far from perfect--no matter what your standard of perfection may be--and in past callings with the young women i have had serious doubts about my fitness to lead them. why not say that? probably because i didn't want to make trouble. i want this calling.

becoming privy to the considerable and often heartbreaking challenges my yw faced in miami was pretty shattering. i lost a lot of sleep wondering how on earth my set of experiences could translate to anything like helpful advice for disadvantaged teenagers with little concept of what a better life would look like. what should i counsel a yw to do, for example, when her father scars her arms and threatens to deport her? how could i point her toward the scriptures when she can't even read? what do i say to a yw whose parents cut her off from every opportunity to leave her squalid home and improve her condition? or teach a lesson on modesty to a girl whose parents utterly ignore her and whose only chance at affection seems (to her) to come from the drop-out neighbor kid five years older than she is?

i became a lot less concerned about sleeveless dresses and a lot more concerned about what a yw's dress and conduct says about her image of the ideal woman. for girls this age, being "sexy" = being somebody. npr had a story about a historian who read young girls' journals over the last century. She found that whereas our grandmothers valued doing good, our daughters value looking good.

i don't know where to go with this. maybe brilliance and wisdom will distill on me in the night. not too likely, as it hasn't happened yet, but i keep hoping...

all i can say is that small improvements can feel like miracles. pray for more of those.
(*no he doesn't.)

9 comments:

richard dandelion said...

I know this isn't the sentiment you're looking for, but I have to say:

Really?!?!

Yet another reason that I'll never be a bishop...

Man Child said...

My bishop is concerned about Megan wearing a bikini too. What's odd is that he doesn't mind me wearing one to priesthood meeting.

Lola said...

i am floored that they would ask a question like that. is that in the handbook now? yikes.

richard dandelion said...

I would be astonished if that were in the handbook. More than likely SC's bishop feels it his duty to police two-pieces.

Jana Brookes said...

You are such a bright shiny light. I am sure that you have improved the life of every ym that you have ever come in contact with, by measures you will never know. I know you are the best for the job! Hey you were pretty much my yw leader in college right!

As for the bikini, wow. I bet that wasn't akward or anything. Even as someone who doesn't, still, akward!!

Sherry Carpet said...

thank you all for being appropriately shocked and appalled. i was pretty sure it wasn't just me, but it doesn't hurt to have some peeps standing by you. now i feel moved upon to say a little something in defense of my bishop. ...ACE!!!

Tyler and Jenica said...

Krista!!! Trust me, you will not have to "entice" us to come visit, it will be such a treat to visit you!

Tyler and I moving to L.A. for the summer because he is selling security systems there. He has done pretty well at it so far, and I can't wait for that warm California summer!

I also can't wait to see you guys!

xoxo,
Jenica

Derek and Ceri Steele said...

Did you live in New York? I have a friend working at Columbia this year and she is finding it hard to know what neighborhoods to live in that are close to campus or at least a metro line. Do you know of any. My email is cerimsteele@gmail.com.
-Ceri Steele

Meg said...

You've got to be kidding! Honestly!

Good luck with your girls. While working at the girl's treatment center I also spent many a sleepless night worrying about them. It was such an eye opener to hear about all the things these girls had gone through in their lives, and they were still so young! It is such a sensitive age to work with, and they are lucky to have you!