So I had an interesting encounter today. I'd just come off the hiking trail. I was tired and hungry. As I pulled into my reserved campsite I saw that it was occupied. One tent, one Prius, and three young ladies.
They all conferred quickly amongst themselves as I pulled in. "Hello" they greeted. I reciprocated. I let all our best smiles play on all our faces for a few beats. "I think one of us might be in the wrong campsite" I said. "That's entirely possible" one of them replied. So I let that hang.
It didn't take long. "We were wondering if maybe we could share" one of them suggested. Another added "we could compensate you for your permit." The third chimed in with "or go get water or something." I was tired but my brain was still functioning. The little squirrel in my head was turning that little wheel double four time.
"Well" I paused "maybe" I hesitated. "Here's what makes me uncomfortable. Three females and a solo male. It just doesn't look, well, appropriate." They all seemed to consider those words with more serious expressions. Then renewed their best smiles and started again. "Well we can find somewhere else." Clearly they hoped to stay. They were turning on the cuteness at full throttle. Pegging the needle.
I changed tact. "You requested a permit?" I inquired. "Yes. They said everything was full. We'd have to leave the park. Maybe go to a gas station or grocery store in town that has overflow camping." I let them know I appreciated their predicament. Then resumed my case.
"I'm just not comfortable with how it looks." No change. "How do I explain this to my girlfriend?" Not much impact. "If the tables were turned, I'm sure you might feel the same." That did it. They got it. But they were clearly disappointed.
They needed to go. It was the right thing to do. But I hoped to put a more positive spin on it. "It's not always easy to be a nice guy. I'm sorry. But you really need to find your own site." They nodded. We all seemed to be on the proper page. "Hey" I added, "you rolled the dice." One of them cheerfully replied "yeah we gave it a shot."
I was hungry. I could feel my blood sugar crashing. I went inside the stuffy Scamp. Cranked out the side rear windows. Selected my ripest banana. Peeled it and took a couple quick, greedy bites. When I stepped back outside they already had the tent down, bagged, and were putting it in the car.
"Dang!" I exclaimed. "That was fast. This ain't y'alls first rodeo, is it?" I added a big, cheesy grin. "No" one admitted. "I've actually hiked the Appalachian Trail." Now there's a potential euphemism and I just let it slide unchecked. "The others are experienced hikers too" she added. And I believed her.
I wished them good luck. They didn't go so far as to apologize. Which I didn't hold against them. They were so young. Adorable really. (shrug)
It's not just enough to do nothing wrong. Sometimes it's important to avoid even appearing to do anything wrong. Especially with strangers. I mean, we didn't know anything about each other. And it was an awkward situation. Best to just do the right thing. Because sometimes appearances matter.
Well, I'm hungry again. And the Sun just set. So I can light the Scamp burners now to cook supper. After about 17 miles on the trail today I bet I'll sleep like a rock. Here's the view out my back window this evening.
"An honest man's pillow is his peace of mind.
--John (Cougar) Mellancamp"
