I meet a lot of people when I’m walking through Mentor Headlands State Park on my way from the parking lot to the lighthouse. Some people are at the park enjoying the longest beach in the state of Ohio while others may be exercising, fishing, or walking their dogs.
One beautiful Fall morning I was making my way down the break wall toward the lighthouse for a day of painting and renovating. My arms were full of supplies as was my backpack. As I carefully maneuvered the rocks, I saw a woman and two young girls ahead of me sitting down. They looked quite content plopped in the middle of the break wall enjoying the sunshine and looking out at the water. When I got closer, I shouted “Hello” to the lady and made eye contact with the girls. “Beautiful day,” I said. The woman replied, “Yes, we’re a Girl Scout Troop out to experience nature, but one of the girls is a bit scared of the rocks.” As I glanced at the two girls, one looked down sheepishly. Clearly, fear had stopped her in her tracks. The woman continued, “The rest of the troop has gone ahead to see the lighthouse.”
I gazed ahead to see a chatty, energetic group of girls scampering over the rocks and getting very close to the ladder hanging from the platform that accesses the lighthouse. I looked at the poor dismayed girl sitting on the rocks, her friend who stayed back with her, and the befuddled troop leader. Everyone was forlorn, and unsure about what to do next.
Having been a Girl Scout myself, I knew I needed to help. So, I turned to the girl sitting down and said, “How would you like to see the inside of the lighthouse?” “Really?” she responded. “Yes,” I said. “I own it and I can let you and the girls see the inside.”
Well, that was the ticket. The little girl jumped up and started running down the rocks toward the other girls. Somehow, she was no longer afraid. As she got closer, she started yelling to the other girls, “We’re going inside the lighthouse, we’re going inside the lighthouse...” The other scouts and their leader were a little confused until I arrived with the other girl, remaining troop leader, and the keys to the front door. “C’mon in girls,” I said, showing them inside.
With the lighthouse clearly in mid-renovation, one of the leaders looked around and said, “This is so kind of you. Is there anything we can help you with…we’re all about community service.” I thought for a minute and said, “Yes, I just had new windows installed and they need cleaning.”
“We’re happy to do that,” the leader said. So, each girl took some paper towels and scattered throughout the lighthouse sharing a couple of bottles of window cleaner. They worked hard scrubbing the dirty windows until they shined.
Once they finished the windows and checked out the view from the top, it was time for them to head back. I thanked them profusely and shared my stash of granola bars for their hard work.
We snapped a few photos to commemorate the day. Troop 1427 Chardon, OH, is welcome back anytime.
But I hope next time they come, they’ll bring some cookies.