LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Connect |
| by Beth Fitton |
| Pardon me while I vent
You know if something is still bothering you weeks after it has happened, you need to get it off of your chest. Well, a few weeks back Mary and I went on a cruise with friends. The itinerary was just what we were looking for; a week visiting a couple of cities in New England and the maritime provinces of Canada. Crisp coastlines, excursions that included harbor tours, city tours and an outdoor lobster feast. While we are seasoned cruisers, it was our first experience with "freestyle cruising." The concept is great; eat whenever you want in whichever dining room suits you at any particular time. For the top dining rooms with significantly better food, you pay between $10 and $20 a person extra. I was fine with all of this right up to the point where the hostess greeted us at the dining room door. The first night we did the specialty dining room, the young woman said to the four of us, "You aren't dining with your husbands tonight?" The second time in a different restaurant the question was, "Will it just be you?" (Four people wasn't enough?) Maybe the reason this is still bothering me is that I said nothing at the time. I know, totally out of character for me! When I have been alone and someone has said, "Where is your husband?" My retort has been, "I didn't know I needed one to eat here." While we happened to be a group of lesbians traveling together, you can't tell me that this hasn't happened repeatedly to widows traveling together or the hometown ladies bridge club. People! The answer is training. Ward and June Cleaver are gone. We are an extremely diverse society. Don't make assumptions that will hurt or annoy the clientele that you are serving. Do the training upfront, be explicit and give examples. If more businesses realized that the lowest paid folks in their organization have contact with the most people, training budgets would definitely be raised. Thanks for letting me vent! The bottom line is that it was good to have a change of pace and VERY good to be back home in Rehoboth Beach. It seems to me that the fall promises to be as fun-filled as the summer. We really have great choices for entertainment in our area. Between now and next month's issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, we have the Autumn Jazz 2008, Sea Witch Fiddlers' & Halloween Festival and the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. Add to those major multi-day events, Second Saturdays Destination Art Walk, the Annual Rehoboth Christmas shop, a variety of walks and runs, and the performances at the Rehoboth Beach Theatre of the Arts including a Halloween Ball and Costume Contest with Christopher Peterson as emcee, you could have a very full calendar. For those of you who like to plan ahead, World AIDS Day and the annual Rehoboth Beach Hometown Christmas parade will both occur on December 1. CAMP Rehoboth will have a group in the parade walking with a message of hope for those living with HIV disease. Our participants will leave the parade route at First Street and continue to All Saints Episcopal Church for the traditional service of remembrance. (More information on page 44) Also, please mark your calendar for the annual Community Unity Dinner on Sunday, December 7. In my view, seeing community members from infants to great grannies, gay and straight, all coming together for an evening of food and fun encapsulates the spirit of Rehoboth Beach.Beth Fitton is Development Director of CAMP Rehoboth. She may be reached at beth@camprehoboth.com or by calling 302-227-5620. |
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LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 14 October 10, 2008 |