A Minor Speedbump

Monday morning proved to be an interesting one. Upon reading and rereading the directions on how to get to the Black's Creek site, I was not quite sure what I'd signed up for. I had attempted to drive to the site. However, once I discovered that those directions simply brought me to the destination of "Quincy, Massachusetts," I deduced that I should follow the walking directions from the North Quincy T Station, thinking they would be just slightly more specific. Little did I know that this would prove to be a Discovery-Channel-esque experience. I was directed down a little narrow street which would more accurately be described as a driveway and was then instructed to, "once the 'driveway' begins to turn back on itself, continue walking straight." I attempted to do just that. I truly wonder if the person who provided these instructions was aware that this meant directing me into a bush. Thinking that there was no other possible way that these directions could be interpreted, I simply walked; walked through the bush until my feet started sinking into a marsh.

I, of course, thought, "Eureka, Black's Creek!" I then allowed my mind to retreat a moment and concluded that, certainly by this point there would be people around. But no, not the faintest sign of one. So I walked, aimlessly through this marsh field with my feet submersed, stubbornly holding on to my masculine sense of direction and refusing to call for assistance. I crossed this field into a new wooded forest with several forking paths. Thinking by this point I had to have been lost, I heard my first sign of human life: a few kids fighting over a sail boat. I followed the voices and then the 'site' finally came into 'sight.' The only thing was that there was a body of water separating yours truly from where I should have been. I proceeded to call Emily, who, no doubt, could only have been speculating as to my location given I had called her long ago saying I was close. She then told me I should most likely go back to my car and somehow find my way to where she was, with the sole clue that "there is a baseball field near it." I would take that bone and soon enough I made it. I'll never know how but somehow I managed to beat all of the kids there so overall it was a success. The day then proceeded to go smoothly. My afternoon was spent at Camp Harborview and my first reaction to that place is for another time. Until then, I hope someone, be it I or a colleague, rectifies this little hiccup in the directions. I was more than obliged to be the guinea pig.

Dan Kenary