With all that’s going on in our nation lately, I guess it’s about time to tell this story as it was the first, but definitely the last time I was unprepared to defend my students. The scene is on a field trip back, in the late seventies or mid-eighties. We were on a gold dredging/panning trip with a long time booster, Darrell Krug to, never to be forgotten, Piru creek that sets to the west of the Interstate 5 via the Smokey the Bear turnoff.
After a full day of dredging and more or less fruitless panning for color, it was time to quit and head for the potluck dinner after which we’d light the campfire; well, more like a bonfire, within the dozen or so circled trailers, campers and tents.
The sun was set and it was time to share stories and Bonnie to instruct how to roast a marshmallow in the making of a S’more; always a highlight.
Although this was in the late seventies or early eighties, I was evidently losing my hearing as one of my past students, now an adult, got up and left the group. Evidently, on the nearby dirt road, an adult male was having a heated argument with his girlfriend; and, I guess the language was both loud and inappropriate. Of course, I heard nothing.
All too soon, Mark reappeared as white as Casper the Ghost. He had gone over to the parked car and pleasantly informed the verbal combatants that there were women and children nearby; to please turn their foul language down a bit. However the request didn’t go over too well with the male. Actually, it didn’t go over at all because he growled at Mark that he was going to back to his camp; pick up his gun; then, come back and shoot up our place.
Let me tell you, the whole camp froze, yet nobody more than myself. I’m sure I turned paler than Mark as I realized I was completely unprepared. We were a good number of miles off the highway and the nearest telephone. There was certainly no way we were going to be able to break camp in time and worse yet, nothing but brush to hide behind. I can recall just standing there is shock while all the adults headed for their trailers and campers for what I assumed was safety. However, I assumed wrong. Moments later every adult male was there at my side with enough armament that would put a Marine battalion to shame.
Needless to say the upset boyfriend owes his well being, if not his life, to whatever the reason was that he never returned. Me? Well, I learned, absolutely big time. I never put myself in that situation again; being unprepared to defend. I have to add that you’d never see it, but I can assure you it was/is always there; and, I’ll leave the “it” to your imagination.
Although I often preach about having a concealed weapon when on the trail or the like, sad that it has to be unfortunately concealed because of the laws. More important, there are no macho/tough/whatever feelings; just feel a little safer. I guess that’s the cost of feeling protected. I’m often asked if it because of snakes that I might come across on the trails. Nope, I’m more concerned about the two legged variety, which is a lot more true than you might think.
Another learning situation came by way of another adult booster, a dentist friend whose son I had back in 1970. We’d often travel out to the wilderness to prospect for a future trip to take club members on. As soon as we set up camp, out would come his rifle for a little target practice. There weren’t more than a dozen shots when he’d take the weapon back to his trailer, saying: “Well, I think everyone’s got the message!” Wise man, that Doc. Naylor.
Now, you have to keep in mind that there were many of the likes of Charlie Manson who lived in the wilds where we hunted gemstones. Matter of fact, I’ll not forget our trips to Trona, as desolate a town as you could imagine, where Charlie and his group would visit to purchase groceries as well as conduct other business. Now, that wasn’t a bothersome thing, what was bothersome was that many of the town folk felt Charlie had gotten a bad deal. And, we went rock collecting in areas like that? By this time, I pretty much had the proverbial bases silently covered with enough like believing parents attending the trips.
With all that’s going on in our country today it’s sad that more teachers and other personnel aren’t trained in both identifying problems and being properly prepared. There are those, of course stand back aghast at preparing a teacher for violence. To those of you who follow that train of thought, I suggest you tell that to an old mama bear protecting her cubs from whatever the threat. Yep, teachers wouldn’t feel much different; just that they’d need to have a proverbial set of claws; properly trained being the ticket.
Wishing you well, LarryBme2@aol.com
I found this picture while celebrating our 60th anniversary. It was taken at Christmas time when she accepted my proposal of marriage.