When I was 13 my parents did the most cruel thing a parent could do, they stole me away for 5 entire weeks, trapped in a 21 foot motor home named Homer the Romer with, of all things, my 2 younger and incredibly annoying sisters, and my parents (neither of which could I imagine my life without now, how things change!)
In a time of no cell phones, no Wi-Fi, no way of contacting my life-giving circle of friends - I was horrified. On top of everything else, I would have to pack anything I wanted with me into this ridiculously small box that had previously held a case of glass bottled beer.
There was, I was informed, a very important family reunion occurring in Bozeman, Montana, and while we were going, we were going to tour all these other remote wild places; Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and on up to Glacier National Park, and Jasper National Parks - I clearly could not understand their excitement.
Considering that was 30 some years ago, it is a little odd that memories from that trip still shape my life today. For instance, out of sheer defiance, while driving hours and torturous hours past “scenery” I read my books in the back bed, never bothering to interact with those keeping me captive against my will – we stopped on what seemed like the 50th day of the trip and I stepped out to stretch my legs, I completely forgot all about my anger with my captors and was rendered speechless by the reflection of the Grand Tetons in a crystal clear lake, I remember thinking that I wanted to live there, forever.
At the next stop, there was a large Moose and my Father quietly led me to the edge of the marshy meadow to watch her close up. To my delight, there was a calf stomping around in the wet weeds and he seemed quite curious about me, walking directly at me with his head cocked to the side. This was so flattering until I realized that it was MUCH larger than me and had intentions of tasting me as far as I could tell and even worse, when I turned to run, there was its MOTHER. I have no idea how fast I ran, my Dad tells me I was never really in any danger. I still don’t believe him.
For the time we were in the Tetons and Yellowstone, every time you sat on a toilet or looked in a mirror to do your hair (I was 13 remember, hair was VERY important!), insistent signs informed you of the danger of bears; we looked in earnest everywhere we went, I don’t remember seeing any bears where there were warning signs . . . . It was disappointing.
The reunion itself was next on the list, 100 + people I am somehow related to, more than half of which I don’t remember meeting before that event. Of the things I remember most – I was allowed to go with my mother’s younger cousins, just a few years older than me, on a horseback ride up to a remote lake in the mountains and they offered me POT!! I was far too chicken to try it, thankfully. It was the most wonderful day really, on a horse (I clearly remember the warmth and musky scent of the horse, crisp cool mountain air, and almost ice water of the stream feeding the lake), in the mountains; what more could a 13 year old girl from the suburbs ask for? Again I remember thinking – I want to live here.
In all the hustle and bustle of the reunion, families camped scattered in the pasture near the Ranch my Mom’s Uncle Larry worked at, meal time was the most chaotic. Uncle Larry and Aunt Ev have a son who is a paraplegic, his name is Don, and he has a wheel chair that he moves it by throwing what is left of his body weight into a stick that moves the chair into the direction of the push. Uncle Larry barked an order on his way past me, “Go and feed Daown”, Uuh, OK, who might Dawn be?? (It turns out, Don is pronounced with a Western drawl: Daown) and there was clearly no disobeying him. I had never experienced anyone with a severe handicap such as his and was very intimidated, I hesitated for a moment and was thrust into a lawn chair in front of Don (Daown), given a spoon and some mashed up food and told again to feed him. He was in his early 20’s (a car accident at age 19 put him in this condition)and annoyed by my presence, I was 13 and petrified – by the time we were done with the meal, I will forever have respect for those who make up their minds to continue with life when it would seem so much easier to end it. I will also NEVER drive down a mountainside in a drunken stupor. Because of these 30 minutes in my life I was able to be comfortable with tube feeding a friend’s son when no one else would, and with a multitude of other duties that come with caring for those we love.
After 4 days of family and fun, it was off to Glacier and Kootenai, then to Jasper, over Lake Superior, crossing Mackinaw Bridge, and home again. At that point, I had forgotten I even had friends at home. (My parents sure were sneaky!)
I will continue telling this story the next time I can write – not even sure I will ever make this site public, having too much fun remembering and writing and who in the world cares about this stuff other than me anyway?
