The first splash
I didn't see it coming, this first test. I was walking along marveling at where my feet could take me when I noticed Darrell, Emily and Jim stopped ahead. Darrell and Emily were on the other side of a shallow river.
Jim was waiting to instuct me.
"You see Diana , if you crossed here, you would get your boots wet," he says. (Isn't that why they're waterproof?) "We found a better place upstream."
Then I saw the log. I'd forgotten how much I dislike walking on top of things. It hasn't been a huge issue since I was a kid and there was this huge semi-tire in the playground. I wouldn't even walk on it unless I could hold my Grandmother's hand.
But here I am. I get up on the log. I don't like the combination of leaning on poles and having weight on my back pushing me forward, and I don't like looking down. But, I do.
And down I go. Face first, of course. It seems to be the only way I fall these days.
Once again I'm pinned beneath my backpack, this time in a stream. My face at least made it to the bank. I gingerly feel to see if either nose or prescription sunglasses are broken, in what's becoming something of a familiar ritual.They're not. I decide to just stay there a second and take a deep breath. The water smells so clean. I know Darrell has his camera out.
"Wow," I think. "This truly is a shining moment."
I walk into a nearby meadow. I breathe, stretch a second. Try to focus on how beautiful it is.
Darrell walks over.
"Quite the shot, huh?" I say.
"I only took a picture of you on the rock, not falling down," he says. "I wouldn't do that. This is hard enough on all of us."
Wow. Nice guy. I'm pretty sure everyone I know would have snapped the shutter.
This was written while out on the trail, but published after returning to Fresno.
Comments
Okay, I'm totally sorry you fell and Darrell is quite a gentleman and everything, but...not one single photo of you flat on the ground, flailing around like an overturned turtle? Come on!
Welcome back!
Posted by: Heather | August 17, 2006 03:03 PM
I would have snapped it.
But hey I'm sure you would have laughed later, right?
Posted by: Rich | August 17, 2006 02:37 PM