Well Lost

One of my duties as a Cabin Counselor at the YMCA Youth Camp I worked at as a youth was to lead my cabin on treks in surrounding forest of the Bradshaw Mountains.  There were various overlooks, swimming holes, climbing rocks, and other attractions that would serve as extra-campular attractions for getting the youth out and about into the beautiful pine scented outdoors. There were plenty of opportunities for these excursions, but every Wednesday was designated as 'all day hike day',  in which all campers and their counselors would vacate the camp for the good part of the day.

Some of the destinations had memorable names for the youth, like Hassayampa Lake, Jesse James Rock, Wolf Creek Campground, and Spruce Mountain Overlook. Often three or four cabins would combine on a destination, allowing for several adults to lead the youth and prevent problems with stragglers.  At the destination, there would be activities and the youth would carry their own water and lunches.

Occasionally, I would take my cabin out alone. Though discouraged, no one really enforced the premise that there needed to be more that one adult in each trek.  At times, I would just not want to deal with another cabin...allowing for the trek to be just a bit more adventurous and random.

On the way back to camp, there were a few times when I might miss one of the sign markers that designated one of the back trails to camp. In no 'real' danger of being lost, we might overshoot the camp and come out on to Groom Creek Route North of the Camp, and have to back track a bit. To the youth, this feeling of being lost would actually add to to the adventure in remarkable ways. The youth would have stories to tell back at camp, and perhaps they might even be a little late for the assembly before dinner. There are unique emotions and feelings that one feels when an appearance of being 'lost' is encountered.  The effect would also add an odd feeling of unity to the cabin as the boys dealt with the adventure of their All Day Hike combined with 'almost being lost'.  There is something special one discovers about oneself, to be faced with challenges, to walk on new paths, and to face adversity and triumph.

I will never forget those feelings.  There were times in my own youth when I was in the woods not completely sure of the correct path to take.  There are a lot of life long parallels that can be internalized from this.

Recently, while reading 'before the frost', the author Henning Mankell had the narrator talk a bit abut this phenomenon.

"She pushed some branches aside and moved in under the trees.  Once she had read about a meadow in the forest that could only be found by someone who had lost their way. To her mind, this captured some of the mystical dimension of human existence. If only one dared to get lost, one could find the unexpected. There was a whole world beyond the highways and biways-if you just dared to take the turnoff."\

Well said, Mr. Mankell.  It expresses well this truth I have found.  I have discovered in life that it is often the path less traveled, even the wrong path, that can sometimes provide unexpected treasure and help us reach those beautiful unexpected vistas.


Cheers, nca

p.s. Henning Mankell passed away in 2015.   As one of my favorite writers, he is greatly missed by me. If you have not read any of his books, I highly recommend. Or check out one of the Kenneth Branagh PBS movies based off of the Wallender books. To quote Kenneth Branagh:

"He was living day to day, often unhappily, sometimes beautifully, as if it might be his last."

May we all live everyday as if it is our last, and may we find our own special path.

Applause Meet Her

At a recent Pops symphony event I attended I was intrigued by the audience requirement to clap and cheer when the conductor glided on to the stage.

Are we really expected to cheer when the conductor comes out to do his job? The job for which we paid to attend and hear? Before the very first string note has been plucked, before the first drum beat has been percussed?

To me this would be akin to tipping the waitress when she shows up to take my food order.  Or paying Apple iTunes to preview a song.

Was this particular event good?  It absolutely was. But there were no guarantees for that, which makes the applause received just a bit premature.  And, to be quite honest, the conductor did a great job, but he was not actually playing an instrument himself, he was waving a baton around and he provided some animation in that fashion for the concert.

It seems to me that applause is quite taken for granted in American culture. Not only do we have this premature applausalation happening, but it is rare that I attend any recent event that the audience does not provide an obligatory standing 'o'.   The standing ovation is typically followed by the entertainer returning to the stage and banging out 1-3 more tunes. AS IF they did not intend to do those 3 tunes, even though the tunes are well prepared and orchestrated even to the point of having prepared pyrotechnics etc.

Obligatory pre-performance applause, obligatory standing ovation, obligatory post finale finale.....it all seems just a bit regimented and prescribed behavior. As we all grew up with the canned applause and laughter pushed on us through American sitcoms since the 60's, we are quite accustomed to having our accolades dictated to us like lambs to the slaughter. Laughter and Slaughter share much in common.

We, as Americans need to go back to our roots and do the unexpected. Doing so would make applause and accolades more meaningful and more deserved, and the quality of our entertainment would improve.  I refer to the scene in the Gangs of New York where the performers were booed, heckled and speckled with tomatoes and fruits...and the yet the show did go on. Entertainers must entertain. We do no service in coddling them. And judging by my ticket prices, their reward comes in their paychecks not from  mandatory applause.

The next time we participate in a concert, let's think hard before we put our hands together.

Cheers, nca