Wednesday, July 23, 2003
...well... I suppose it's good to be back after a week in Lake Powell. Really, there's no place like home, but I'd have to say a good book in the shade under that magnificently brilliant red rock and a plunge in the cool water whenever the heat would get unbearable, would take a pretty close second. Unfortunately I'm not one to complain when there's little work to be done and every responsiblity at home is thrown out the window. Hmmm... sometimes I wonder about my priorities. Still, it's back to the old grind once again, so I feel that should include a good half-hour pounding away at the blog-page.
While I was away, a sort of parable came to my mind. It appears in a desert surrounding (as can only be expected after the four days I spent away from civilization in an extremely blistering climate with only the beetles at night to keep us company). This story begins when a park ranger, cruising a particularly barren area on his rounds, discovered an old, wooden hand-made bench that had been crudely arranged by a long-forgotten camper. The individual obviously had not professed much skill in carpentry, as the bench was slightly askewed to one side and the back rest seemed to balance precariously between screws on either end. Still, it was a handy little creation and the ranger smiled at the ingenuity of some campers to "make do" in the wild. As he studied the handiwork, however, he noticed a small obtrusion near the right-hand side on the seat. Through closer inspection, he discovered a screw, carelessly placed too high so that it protruded past the surface of the wood. Obviously this would cause some considerable pain, if not damage, should someone unknowingly place themselves over this inscrutable weapon. Visions of injuries, complaints, law suits, swam before his eyes and he found himself immediately radioing to headquarters for assistance and advice as how to proceed. Meanwhile, back at base, the summer interns were scrambling like mad to find the right forms to solve this problem. Within 3 days, the manager had ordered a sign to be posted, engraved in copper (taken from the proceeds of the campers' payments, of course) warning all potential sitters of the imminent danger should they choose to repose in this spot. Within the week, the head manager had been informed of a camper suing a prominent recreational area, including various insurance claims, etc. Immediately, legal documents were drawn requiring all who wished to use this site, to sign and fork over a $10 fee, "displacing all responsiblity from the establishment to the user of such said establishment." Trees were cut down immediately surrounding this menacing object, allowing its danger to become more visible, but also discouraging any desire to relax in the shade of this stealthy snare. Everyone slept more soundly after that, and felt everything possible had been done to dissuade those who might inadvertantly harm themselves in such a compromising position.
One afternoon, in the not-too-distant future, a young man named Elroy Simmons happened to be on a day-hike through this beautiful desert country. Unknowingly, he happened upon this site that had been the cause of so much stress and turbulence for those in authority. He, too, spotted the bench and came to admire its crude fashion, himself being a sort of amateur craftsman. As he studied its form, he quickly noticed the deformity and simultaneously spotted the potential injury it could cause. A boy scout in his former days, Elroy always carried a pocket knife in the great outdoors, so he expertly flicked out the best tool for the situation and got to work forcing the point back under the bench's surface. Within a minute he had finished his task. While he was at it, he tightened the hold of the back rest and it looked almost like new. He noticed the bench was placed most unfortunately away from the shade, so he promptly dragged it under the nearest tree, lay down and took a nap. The whole process had taken less than 3 minutes.
One begins to wonder of the wisdom of the world. With all of the precautions and apparent advancements, with the increasing emphasis on education and higher institutions of it, with the decline of looking out for your neighbor and instead looking out for number one, it only becomes clearer that the world could be much improved by using all the things we learned in Boy Scouts.
While I was away, a sort of parable came to my mind. It appears in a desert surrounding (as can only be expected after the four days I spent away from civilization in an extremely blistering climate with only the beetles at night to keep us company). This story begins when a park ranger, cruising a particularly barren area on his rounds, discovered an old, wooden hand-made bench that had been crudely arranged by a long-forgotten camper. The individual obviously had not professed much skill in carpentry, as the bench was slightly askewed to one side and the back rest seemed to balance precariously between screws on either end. Still, it was a handy little creation and the ranger smiled at the ingenuity of some campers to "make do" in the wild. As he studied the handiwork, however, he noticed a small obtrusion near the right-hand side on the seat. Through closer inspection, he discovered a screw, carelessly placed too high so that it protruded past the surface of the wood. Obviously this would cause some considerable pain, if not damage, should someone unknowingly place themselves over this inscrutable weapon. Visions of injuries, complaints, law suits, swam before his eyes and he found himself immediately radioing to headquarters for assistance and advice as how to proceed. Meanwhile, back at base, the summer interns were scrambling like mad to find the right forms to solve this problem. Within 3 days, the manager had ordered a sign to be posted, engraved in copper (taken from the proceeds of the campers' payments, of course) warning all potential sitters of the imminent danger should they choose to repose in this spot. Within the week, the head manager had been informed of a camper suing a prominent recreational area, including various insurance claims, etc. Immediately, legal documents were drawn requiring all who wished to use this site, to sign and fork over a $10 fee, "displacing all responsiblity from the establishment to the user of such said establishment." Trees were cut down immediately surrounding this menacing object, allowing its danger to become more visible, but also discouraging any desire to relax in the shade of this stealthy snare. Everyone slept more soundly after that, and felt everything possible had been done to dissuade those who might inadvertantly harm themselves in such a compromising position.
One afternoon, in the not-too-distant future, a young man named Elroy Simmons happened to be on a day-hike through this beautiful desert country. Unknowingly, he happened upon this site that had been the cause of so much stress and turbulence for those in authority. He, too, spotted the bench and came to admire its crude fashion, himself being a sort of amateur craftsman. As he studied its form, he quickly noticed the deformity and simultaneously spotted the potential injury it could cause. A boy scout in his former days, Elroy always carried a pocket knife in the great outdoors, so he expertly flicked out the best tool for the situation and got to work forcing the point back under the bench's surface. Within a minute he had finished his task. While he was at it, he tightened the hold of the back rest and it looked almost like new. He noticed the bench was placed most unfortunately away from the shade, so he promptly dragged it under the nearest tree, lay down and took a nap. The whole process had taken less than 3 minutes.
One begins to wonder of the wisdom of the world. With all of the precautions and apparent advancements, with the increasing emphasis on education and higher institutions of it, with the decline of looking out for your neighbor and instead looking out for number one, it only becomes clearer that the world could be much improved by using all the things we learned in Boy Scouts.
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