It's funny how things come around
Posted 12-11-2013 at 12:17 AM by grumptacular
Sometimes when we are out living our life, we run into someone or something that brings back a memory or emotion that seemed to be in a forgotten place. Maybe it's someone you went to grade school with, and you run into them at the super market. Maybe you pass back through a town and suddenly realize you had more experiences there, than you realized. The memories become more visceral and tangent. The randomness, as well, is intriguing. Why that memory, or that experience, or that person? Does it mean anything? Or is it just coincidence?
The first time I experienced something like this, and was able to have enough intelligence to really ponder it, was when I was 13 years old. I was on a camping trip with a boy scout troop. We had set up a camp the night before, at the base of a small mountain. There was a small stream that ran by the camp. About a half acre island of pines and firs grew out of the rock around us, giving us a nice canopy.
We woke up at 6:30, got cleaned up and ate a good camping breakfast. Packed our rucks and headed out on a march. We were hiking a 5 km trail up the side of our mountain. I can't remember the name of the mountain anymore, but it was in Bern, Switzerland. I don't remember much of the hike for that matter. What I do remember is when we finally got to the top, it opened up in to an amazing, crater lake. The walls on one side seemed so tall and sheer. (There is a scene in one of the LOR movies that reminds me of this place). All that beauty.
But the thing that really blew our preteen minds, were paddle boats!! We harangued our troop leaders to let us take them out and they were cool enough to allow us. Morey brothers in the front, Gary and I in the back. We shot from the dock faster than anyone has ever dared. Our 8 little legs were paddling up a storm, all of us looking down at our feet trying to keep going as long as we could. I don't really know how long we were paddling, but when we finally looked up from our feet, we couldn't see a thing!! We were enveloped in fog. We couldn't see any of our landmarks. HAHAHA The crater wall, picnic area, the docks we just left, were all gone! It was really scary! We tried to call out but we couldn't hear anybody. The younger Morey was starting to freak out and making it difficult to hear.
But I had a plan! I took an apple out of my pack and bit into one side of it. On the other side I carved my initials. I was going to throw the apple in the water and use it as a buoy. My initials were just in case someone else had the same idea, and I didn't want us to get confused by their apple. HAHA We started off in the direction we all agreed seemed most sensible and almost immediately were met by the boat owner who grew out of the fog on a row boat. He yelled something to us in French I think, and it wasn't "good to see you", I'm sure.
We were exhausted. The trip back down was much closer to our camp site, taking a bit steeper and not as scenic route. As soon as we got back, we ate cold cut sandwiches and crashed. Our troop leader said not one of stayed up later than 7:30 that night.
The next morning we woke up with a lot of alarm. It had started to rain during the night, and that little stream we had set up next to, was now a small, fast moving river. It was starting to lap at our cooler and water jugs and rising quickly. The troop leaders were scrambling to grab equipment, yelling at us to grab our tents and pull back...chaos everywhere!!! Then suddenly Gary yelled out something and everything became still. He was pointing at something in the water and we simultaneously broke into a run after it. It was my apple. Plain as day, the water rolled it over and over showing me my initials and teeth marks. It floated away quickly and there was no way we could have captured it. We also could hear the wrath of our troop leader coming up behind us and he was HOT!!! We didn't realize how dangerous our actions were, so close to that quick water. We were lucky in hindsight. I can remember my feet splashing on the edge of the water line in my pursuit.
The bus ride home was very quiet. At least for me it was. I knew I'd be in trouble for doing something stupid. But that took a backseat to my thoughts. All I could think about was that apple and how could that have passed in front of us after leaving it on top of a mountain three hours away!!! Did it mean something? It had too!! It was a sign from God! or something? I asked the pastor of my church and I felt he thought I was telling him a story. I got the same feeling from my parents when I told them. After that, I quit sharing the story, but the pondering of coincidence consumed me. It made me start to question the meaning of life, and of course at some point between 15 and 16 I had all the answers until I grew up in my late 20's.
The first time I experienced something like this, and was able to have enough intelligence to really ponder it, was when I was 13 years old. I was on a camping trip with a boy scout troop. We had set up a camp the night before, at the base of a small mountain. There was a small stream that ran by the camp. About a half acre island of pines and firs grew out of the rock around us, giving us a nice canopy.
We woke up at 6:30, got cleaned up and ate a good camping breakfast. Packed our rucks and headed out on a march. We were hiking a 5 km trail up the side of our mountain. I can't remember the name of the mountain anymore, but it was in Bern, Switzerland. I don't remember much of the hike for that matter. What I do remember is when we finally got to the top, it opened up in to an amazing, crater lake. The walls on one side seemed so tall and sheer. (There is a scene in one of the LOR movies that reminds me of this place). All that beauty.
But the thing that really blew our preteen minds, were paddle boats!! We harangued our troop leaders to let us take them out and they were cool enough to allow us. Morey brothers in the front, Gary and I in the back. We shot from the dock faster than anyone has ever dared. Our 8 little legs were paddling up a storm, all of us looking down at our feet trying to keep going as long as we could. I don't really know how long we were paddling, but when we finally looked up from our feet, we couldn't see a thing!! We were enveloped in fog. We couldn't see any of our landmarks. HAHAHA The crater wall, picnic area, the docks we just left, were all gone! It was really scary! We tried to call out but we couldn't hear anybody. The younger Morey was starting to freak out and making it difficult to hear.
But I had a plan! I took an apple out of my pack and bit into one side of it. On the other side I carved my initials. I was going to throw the apple in the water and use it as a buoy. My initials were just in case someone else had the same idea, and I didn't want us to get confused by their apple. HAHA We started off in the direction we all agreed seemed most sensible and almost immediately were met by the boat owner who grew out of the fog on a row boat. He yelled something to us in French I think, and it wasn't "good to see you", I'm sure.
We were exhausted. The trip back down was much closer to our camp site, taking a bit steeper and not as scenic route. As soon as we got back, we ate cold cut sandwiches and crashed. Our troop leader said not one of stayed up later than 7:30 that night.
The next morning we woke up with a lot of alarm. It had started to rain during the night, and that little stream we had set up next to, was now a small, fast moving river. It was starting to lap at our cooler and water jugs and rising quickly. The troop leaders were scrambling to grab equipment, yelling at us to grab our tents and pull back...chaos everywhere!!! Then suddenly Gary yelled out something and everything became still. He was pointing at something in the water and we simultaneously broke into a run after it. It was my apple. Plain as day, the water rolled it over and over showing me my initials and teeth marks. It floated away quickly and there was no way we could have captured it. We also could hear the wrath of our troop leader coming up behind us and he was HOT!!! We didn't realize how dangerous our actions were, so close to that quick water. We were lucky in hindsight. I can remember my feet splashing on the edge of the water line in my pursuit.
The bus ride home was very quiet. At least for me it was. I knew I'd be in trouble for doing something stupid. But that took a backseat to my thoughts. All I could think about was that apple and how could that have passed in front of us after leaving it on top of a mountain three hours away!!! Did it mean something? It had too!! It was a sign from God! or something? I asked the pastor of my church and I felt he thought I was telling him a story. I got the same feeling from my parents when I told them. After that, I quit sharing the story, but the pondering of coincidence consumed me. It made me start to question the meaning of life, and of course at some point between 15 and 16 I had all the answers until I grew up in my late 20's.
Total Comments 0
