Written by Brandon “Monkey” Imp
…plays in my mind over and over and over (and I love it). Since returning to the trail, we have met a whole slew of new hikers. Two of them are Ivy and Mischief. They are my age (22), go to separate colleges, and have been dating for five years. The two are a great match. They are intelligent, optimistic, opportunistic, and charismatic. They work well with each other and off of each other. I cannot say for certain if they will complete their thru-hike, but it does not matter – these two will be so accomplished that an AT thru-hike will just be a number in a list.
We pulled a full day with a karma-driven pit stop at the Dutch Haus and an early arrival to camp. The shelter ws full and we all chatted about this and that. Mischief was determined to build a roaring campfire, so I helped collect some wood. We had a slim selection of rotting wood and some rather green branches, but determinedly, she produced a magnificent campfire. As night fell, we learned of Ivy’s mental investment in poetry. Among his repertoire was Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax”. Intrigued, the rest of us asked him to recite the epic (and lengthy) poem on greed and conservation.
And recite it he did. Over the course of 20 minutes, he captured our interests and minds. The Lorax had a squeaky, pleading, high-pitched voice, different from the regular Ivy voice used for narration. We sat silently as he told of a world destroyed – a world very much like our own. Dr. Seuss instructs his readers/listeners to plant their own seed. Share the gift!
Well, Ivy, you planted that seed deep. Ringleader, Lightning, and I are tired of not using our brains academically (nothing to read! nothing to debate! nothing new to share!) So, we have taken up the hobby of memorizing poetry. Ringleader has memorized “The Road Less Traveled” by Robert Frost, I have(almost memorized) “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss, and Lightning is working on “Baz Luhrmann Goes to the Top of the Class By Applying His Sunscreen” by Baz Luhrmann. Dr. Seuss may sound a little silly, but his messages are applicable and straightforward. Plus, it’s fun! Oh! The places you’ll go!
FYI – You are on my google reader and I always enjoy when your line turns bold.
I would love to hear your rendition of “Oh the Places You'll Go!” With all your theater experience, I bet it's going to be really fun and memorable. Make sure someone gets you on video doing the recitation.
Here is my favorite Dr. Seuss quote for your enjoyment & possible memorization:
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guys who'll decide where to go.”
Another terrific post. I particularly enjoyed hearing about your poem choices. Hopefully you captured part of Ivy's recitation on video.