92: The One We Survived Pt 3: Cold

 

The Wild Turkeys and Eddy Rebels at "Wild Training" class, Monday, November 4, 1991.  From Left to Right: Eugene Armstead, Greg Wedel & Geri Haupt huddled together for warmth, Jennifer Everett, Chandra Maloney, Princess Edwards, & Jon Terryn,

I don't think it was really as cold as I remember.  Not technically anyway.  I looked up the high and low recorded temperatures for Monday, November 4, 1991 and the closest I could get was this detailed record for the temperature in Lake Mary, FL. We may not have camped in Lake Mary but we were still in Central Florida and the temps recorded in Lake Mary were likely not much different than what we experienced.  The historical record shows a high of 59 degrees around 3 PM and a low of 53 degrees around 8 that morning.  For context the high today here in Ohio, was five degrees colder than the low on that chilly November morning.

Of course, we were outside the whole time. And the fifties might be fine for playing a rousing game of basketball in a t-shirt and sweats as my students did today, but not so fine for bathing.  And keep in mind we are talking about Floridians here.  Our concept of "cold" is different.

Still, what stands out most vividly for me when I think about Senior Survival was how cold it was. I remember that the staff seemed to relax the rules about physical contact amongst the students as we hugged, snuggled and huddled together for warmth. I claimed Poupa "Jenny" Marashi as my "personal warmer."  It was purely platonic of course and we weren't the only ones cuddled up. 

Me and Jenny

Here's my journal account of our second day of Senior Survival, Monday, November 4, 1991. I'm amused by how I talk is if we'd been out in the woods for weeks rather than around 24 hours:

"A good day.  Days out here have a way of being that. Not great, not awful. Just good.  I guess the inconvenience that makes it bad and the camaraderie that makes it good kind of balance each other out.

Had eggs in the Wok for breakfast and they were good even with the flecks of ashes in them. The dishes as usual were washed with sand and water. The weather was cold, colder than it has been all year.  And it only got worse. 

This morning after a rather wasted worship (Our 'sealed orders" got left outside and got soaked in the rain) the Turkeys and the [Eddy] Rebels had wild training and then the M thru P's [students with last names ending in M, N, O, or P] had the obstacle course.  All marginally fun.   Jenny Marashi served as my warmer. I've been talking to her a lot lately and she is a really sweet person. . .

Chandra Maloney wishing the paparazzo would lay off

Geri Haupt and Chandra Maloney

Some sort of a team-building activity that appears to the M-P's as Jeff O'Conner, Scott Pena, Heather Pominowski, and Hector Morales can be seen in this photo.

During lunch we practiced for the class play. Man, I'm getting really sick of that play. I'd almost like to forget it. . .

In the afternoon we did something on animals with Chuck Town--the Senior Survival man and an awesome guy--and First Aid.  We also did the Nitro Crossing.

Tonight for supper we were invited over by the Eddy Rebels for chow.  It's fortunate that they did because they didn't have water or pots, both of which the Turkey's provided and both of which they couldn't have eaten without.  It was really cool.  Eugene and Jenny Marashi did the cooking and it was great.  Chandra and Geri and Pamela and Jennifer are living in a veritable palace.  It's huge and very well put together.  Chandra and Geri did it all themselves and I was impressed.

The meeting tonight was very good.  Cheeko Cotta spoke and so did Chuck.  Chuck's story was very moving.  ***** got really upset about something and walked off. I ran after her and talked to her and Chuck came and prayed with us.  I think I did the right thing because ***** thanked me and said she was glad I came after her.

Tonight we hung out at camp.  We were pretty sure the Indians were gonna come after us to try and shave Greg's butt but they never showed.  We were ready though.  Dale about went crazy.  He had a machete and was waving it at the bushes daring someone to attack.  Eventually we hid [the machete] from him as we weren't sure what he might do.  The man is profound.  There were a few false alarms but nothing else.  Getting ready to hit the sack and listen to some Beatles and Guns N' Roses [on my Walkman]."

The god of smoke calls forth the plumes

I chose to redact the name of the classmate who took off during the evening worship service, just out of respect for their privacy.  I do recall there was a spiritual intensity to the evening after the levity of the Russian ballerinas earlier on that night. That intensity would only increase in the next 24 hours.

Only teenagers can turn on a dime from faith to foolishness.  The tensions with the Indians continued, with poor Greg Wedel singled out as their target. Throughout the day they taunted him with threats of shaving his butt.  But none of us were going to allow one of our brothers to be manhandled and we were ready to protect him and his "sacred butt" as we called it.  Dale, especially, was out for blood and you never know, some might have been literally shed the way he was swinging that machete around.

I remember very well lying in the dark of our derelict tent listening to the Beatles and Guns N' Roses on my Walkman. It was one of those mix-tapes we used to make--a copy of the Beatles 20 Greatest Hits that I dubbed from Chris Cotta's cassette with GNR's "Paradise City" dropped in right between "Penny Lane" and "All You Need is Love."  I remember feeling that classic adolescent melancholy as I listened to those songs, warmed by the connections with friends I had throughout the day and chilled by the cold darkness that surrounded me and my companions, physically as well as spiritually.