I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK IN THE 'HOSTILITY INDUSTRY'!

Clevelands House is a family resort in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada that was established in 1869. I won't bore you with every little historical detail about the place but might tell amusing stories about the days gone by as I see fit. My Dad Bob Cornell went there with his parents when he was a kid and when they arrived he turned to them and said 'I am going to own this place one day' and just over 20 years later that is exactly what happened. He met his future bride there and they had 3 kids, I am the youngest. My older sister and brother also met their spouses there, me? I am still looking but am officially too old to find my future hubby amongst the staff! In some parts of the world I am sure an age difference this big is normal but it is something I frown upon, I mean there are cougars but this age gap is just gross. I am 41 and the staff are mostly 17 - 24 you do the math!

When I was a kid I used to say 'I can't wait until I am the age of the staff' now I say 'I wish I was the age of the staff' as I turn my light out just as the bus is leaving to take everybody out to 'Resort Night' at the local bar. I used to get on that bus with 12 cans of beer and hand them out on my way to my seat - my how times have changed.

Starting this blogging adventure is my attempt to recount some of my favorite and sometimes not so favorite stories and memories of this magical place I have called home for my entire life. I am now the Director of HR there and hire all of the seasonal staff which means every winter I get to read about 1000 resumes where kids tell me how great they are - more on that to follow! I could write a book about the current generation and hey I might, mostly they are great kids but some of them are a piece of work.

The title of this entry came about from a resume I received about 10 years ago. I opened it up and started reading the cover letter which began with 'I have always wanted to work in the hostility industry...' needless to say I couldn't wait to show it to everybody in my office and had it pinned up on my wall for months. Believe me there are times when that is exactly what this industry is, the 'hostility industry' and not the 'hospitality industry'. I am sure the girl who sent me that resume had no idea how right that statement could be at times.

When people who haven't worked at 'Cleves' ask me what it was / is like to work there I cannot help but smile and give the cheesiest answer possible 'It is like Dirty Dancing' because that is exactly what it is like (we haven't had a dance instructor as hot as Patrick Swayze in my day but I keep hoping). It is a feeling that very few people can describe. It becomes part of your soul, shapes friendships we will all have for our entire lives and evokes great memories as we age. Some of my favorite times are when I get together with a group of people from 'back in the day' and we tell the same stories over and over and I am eventually crying I am laughing so hard. Good times I say and don't forget 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner' is the best movie line EVER!!!