Shane Eisenman

February 9, 1995

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

            Sleeping bag…thermal underwear…mess kit.  Eric methodically moved down the list, checking off each item as he put it in its proper place.  He was being especially careful, making sure he didn’t forget anything.  Even the smallest thing forgotten could end up making his trip uncomfortable.

            The weatherman had predicted a winter storm and intense cold for the weekend, but Eric was an experienced Boy Scout.  He knew what cold and snow were all about and felt confident in his winter camping skills.  However, Eric was not concerned with merely enduring the event.  The February campout was his favorite and he was determined to have as much fun as possible.

            Once his pack was ready and his sled had been tossed in the back of the car, Eric had his dad drive him to the parking lot where they were all supposed to meet.  This was about a twenty-minute drive, but to Eric is seemed like only seconds.  His mind was racing, alternating between thoughts of the upcoming campout and his relationship with Stacey, his girlfriend of six months.  He and Stacey had been having problems recently and he wondered whether he should stick with the ailing relationship, or break it off and get on with his life.

            When they reached the parking lot, Eric said goodbye to his father and began mixing with those of his friends and fellow scouts that had already arrived.  They formed a small nucleus and huddled near the building with their gear.  They talked of recent events in each other’s lives while the adult drives sat in their cars on the cold, bleak morning.

            As more scouts arrived, the nucleus branched out, each scout assisting with the final preparations.  When everything was packed up and ready to go, the scouts hopped into the cars in groups of three or four and continued their Saturday morning conversations.

            The cars pulled out of the parking lot one after another.  “We’re leaving on time for once”, thought Eric as he looked at his watch.  It was 8:13 A.M. and he was anxious to get to the site.  Other things also puzzled in his mind.  Eric wondered what the weather would be like, whether of not there would be enough snow for sledding, and how he was going to deal with the communications breakdown between he and his girlfriend.  He just couldn’t get through to her.  She was always off in her own world, doing what was best for her and not taking him into consideration.  Soon, though, Eric got sucked into the conversation and, thus, didn’t get a chance to theorize fully on these subjects.

            Finally, the caravan reached the site in the Bristol Hills of New York.  All the gear was unloaded from the vehicles and the troop proceeded to set up camp.  In the snowy woods, tents were put up, fire pits were dug, and lunch was cooked.  After cleanup the fun began.  A few of the scouts grouped up and went on a hike, but the majority of them got their sleds together and went on a search for the “meanest” slopes.

            The pack of them stayed together for a while, watching each other go down, laughing when they fell or congratulating them when they did something especially spectacular or “insane”.  Although Eric normally enjoyed this “sledding olympics”, today he felt like being by himself for a while.  Therefore, as the main group moved on looking for new hills to slide down, Eric slipped off by himself.  He meant to clear his head of all the disturbing thoughts and absorb the peacefulness of the midwinter landscape.  First, though, he had to decide about his girlfriend.

            He wandered as he pondered, sometimes just walking, other times sledding down hills.  A storm had indeed come through, and it had left about four inches of fresh snow in its wake.  After sliding down a short incline, Eric rolled off his sled and lay there in its fluffy softness.  The air was cold by Eric felt warm in his clothing and relaxed in his position.  Off in the distance he could still hear the muffled cries of his friends, but he had no longing for their company.  Lying there in the snow, Eric was suddenly overcome by a feeling of fatigue.  He thought it not a bad idea to take a little rest.  He would ponder his problems later.

            By the time he woke up, however, there was twilight amongst the trees and he was chilled to the bone.  He staggered to his feet and looked around.  Dazed by the cold, he did not immediately recognize his surroundings.  He strained his ears listening for his friends.  The pack had meandered away long ago, and, Eric knew, was probably starting to prepare for dinner.  He realized, though, that he could find his way back if he just followed his own tracks so he was not worried.  However, Eric’s mind was still ill at ease with regard to his girlfriend.  All the way back to the site he mapped out the various options he had, but couldn’t reach a decision.

            He slipped back inconspicuously and fell in with the other scouts doing chores.  Eric started chopping wood for the fire.  He kept on chopping; he chopped an incredible amount of wood.  And then it hit him.  He saw her face in the wood and swung hard, sending wood chips flying.  He looked at the implement in his hand and a light bulb exploded in his brain.  He knew what to do; he would give her the axe.