2023-01 Difficult Roads

Today we say hello to the very first day of the year 2023. For the past 2 years, rather than displaying ads for items that are on sale, our local grocery store has placed inspirational messages on the signs along the outside of the building. Yesterday as I pulled to get some last minute items for our New Year's Eve celebration, I read the following. “ Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” I kept thinking about this sentence as I was walking through the isles and some of the beautiful destinations that I personally have explored this past couple of years.

Sequoia National Park comes to mind as the road to reach the park is one that will push your vehicle to its limits with the steep and windy road. But hugging one of those massive redwoods after enduring the long hard road is totally worth it.

Timpanogos Caves inside Mt. Timpanogos is another one that comes to mind. Even though the hike up to the cave is only 2.5 miles, it is a hike that will push your body to its limits. After you reach the cave opening, and catch your breath for about 20 minutes so your heart doesn’t jump out of your chest, the beauties of all the stalagmites and stalactites along with the Heart of Timpanogos will take your breath away again.

Ruth Lake is another hidden gem that we discovered inside the Uinta National Forest along the Mirror Lake Hwy. The elevation is pretty high up there which brings its own challenges with breathing, headaches, and fatigue and the trail is constantly up and down throughout the 3 mile round trip. But the blue high elevation lake is one that brought me one of my most relaxing days I have had in a long time as I took a nap in the hammock alongside its shore line.

These are all great destinations, and there are many more that I could talk about. But, my mind started thinking about some of the destinations that I have reached that are not necessarily found on a map. These are items that I have personally accomplished that may have been difficult to endure through. I think my son would have one of his personal destinations be planning and completing his Eagle Project.

New Years is one of those great times of the year that we can reflect on how we are personally doing, what we should be doing better, and some of the items we would like to complete on our bucket list. It’s a time for resolutions and goal setting. I personally do not have New Years resolutions, but I do set some goals that I would like to accomplish for myself personally along with some goals I would like to accomplish with my family.

These past couple of years have been very difficult for many people. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. I personally had the difficult time of losing my father in October of 2021. My kids would probably say that their school year this last year was really difficult. Difficult roads will always be part of our life. Whatever your difficult roads have been, take some time to reflect on how you are the person that you are now because of the experiences you have been through. Reflect on some of those amazing places that you have hiked to or camped at that were off the beaten path. Each difficult road that we endure through makes us a little more Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

2022-33 Help Other People At All Times

Here is a fun one found in the 1958 printing of ideas and stories for the Scoutmaster’s Minute entitled “Help Other People At All Times.”

I have in front of me two plates, an apple on one; a few apple seeds on the other.

If I gave you a choice, which of these plates would you rather have? Well, I guess most of us would choose the one with the apple, wouldn't we?

About a hundred and fifty years ago, there was as a fellow who would have taken the seeds. He was a nut on apple seeds, so much so that people called him Johnny Appleseed. He walked across hundreds of miles of our frontier lands year after year, until he died, and everywhere he went he planted apple seeds. The trees that grew from those seeds fed thousands of people with their fruit. All because of a screwball called Johnny Appleseed!

Most of us seem to be interested only in the present. We haven't time to plant seeds. We want just the brightest fruit, and we want it right now.

But you know it would be easy for us to plant a few seeds along the way, seeds that would bring good to many people for years to come. How? Just by living our slogan, "Do a Good Turn Daily." Every time we help another person we are planting a little seed of good feeling. Just one such seed can start the growth of a tree of good deeds in each person you help. You can see how important your Good Turn is. It can lead to thousands of good deeds throughout many years of the future, affecting the lives of thousands of people.

Remember your Good Turn every day!

2022-30 Muggle Vision

Years ago we took our group on a 15 mile hike between the Teton National Forest and Yellowstone National Park to a destination named Union Falls where a tributary of Mountain Ash Creek joins at the very brink of the falls. Near the falls you will find a geo-thermal hot spring that will give you hours of swimming along with treasure hunting at the bottom of the pool as people lose many personal items there. One of our leaders lost his wedding ring as he was jumping into the water!

Between the warm water, hours of swimming, the 7.5 mile hike in and the 7.5 mile hike back out, all the energy in your body is completely suck out of you by the time your done. This was the case as we were hiking back out and had about 4 more miles until we reached the trailhead. Everyone, scouts and leaders, were shuffling their feet as we slowly made our way back to the trailhead. None of us realized that we were hiking through a patch of huckleberries and that there was a large black bear having lunch 20 yards away from us! The first leader to notice the bear tapped me on my shoulder and whispered, “hey, there’s a bear over there.” My first reaction was, “Dude! Don’t mess with me.”

“No really, there is a bear over there!”

As my eye’s focused on the furry black bear munching on his berries, I tapped the should of the scout in front of me and whispered the same message, “Hey, there is a bear over there.” The scout was a little bit quicker and not so quite about the wildlife sighting. He yelled at the top of his lungs, “A BEAR!”

This is the only time that I have witnessed the ears and face of a black bear look exactly like a stuffed teddy bear. It’s ears perked up and it’s eyes got really wide and open, and then this big ole black bear tumbled backwards and started high tailing it in the opposite direction as scouts and leaders were running and screaming in all directions. Too bad this took place before smart phones. It would have made an epic video.

In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we are introduced to the term, Muggles. In the first book Hagrid explains to Harry that a Muggle is a non-magic folk. In the third book or movie in this case, Harry has had enough of his Uncle and Aunt and is running away after blowing up Aunt Marge. He boards the Knight Bus and they start speeding through the streets on their way to London. With so many muggles also driving on the streets, Harry raises the following question. “What about the Muggles? Won’t they see us?!” To the reply Stan says, “Muggles! The don’t see nothing, do they?!”

This was the case for us as we were hiking through the forest and only focusing on our feet shuffling through the dirt. We had Muggle Vision. We were not paying attention to our surroundings as we walked directly into a bear during dinner time. I guess you could say that the bear also had Muggle Vision as he had no clue that 10 humans were walking in on him while he was munching away on his berries. One great tip is to always be aware of your surroundings. Our group was extremely lucky in this case as you never know what attitude a bear may have if you startle it.

Sometimes there are things going on around us that we have no clue of. Some of these things may include us missing out on opportunities for not paying attention. Who knows, maybe there is a troop or patrol member who is feeling left out or going through some hard times and just needs someone to be friendly too them. Let’s be the one that is paying attention so we can be friendly and helpful to other people at all times.

2022-29 Mistakes

We all make mistakes. We all say or do things that sooner or later we come to regret. Here are some things that we will never be sorry for.

• Thinking before acting

• Hearing before judging

• Forgiving your enemies

• Being candid and frank

• Helping a fallen brother or sister

• Being honest in business

• Thinking before speaking

• Being loyal to your church or synagogue

• Standing by your principles

• Stopping you ears to gossip

• Bridling a slanderous tongue

• Harboring only pure thoughts

• Sympathizing with the afflicted

• Being courteous and kind to all

- Author Unknown

2022-19 Turn That Frown Upside-down

The past couple of years, with individuals wearing masks has made it difficult to see everyone’s smiles. With more restrictions disappearing, we can again start to see everyone’s facial expressions. It’s amazing how your nonverbal facial gestures can give off so much communication. One of these key gestures is that of smiling.

A smile can mean multiple things. Happiness, joy, content, and even empathy. Sometimes we have to force a smile as the camera is pointed at us and mom or dad is telling us to say “cheese”. But, most of the time we smile when we are happy. It’s also one of those contagious things we can do. Next time you are in the grocery store, in line for school lunch, or at the bus stop. Make eye contact with someone and give them a smile. Don’t make it weird… but just a simple smile. Chances are that they will smile back. Plus you might have brightened their day with your smile. According to a study at Walden University, we do not learn how to smile. We are actually born knowing how to smile. With the advancement of 3D ultrasound technology, doctors and medical practitioners have been able to identify that developing babies smile in the womb. Once a baby is born, they continue to smile. This is true of all babies regardless of culture and environment, as smiling is a basic and biological uniform human expression.

When I was little, I can remember singing a song in my Sunday School primary class. The lyrics go like this:

If you chance to meet a frown,
Do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it upside down
And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowning face.
Change it for a smile.
Make the world a better place
By smiling all the while.

Dale Carnegie wrote the following poem about a smile:

It costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich they can get along without it and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in a business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anyone 'til it is given away. And if in the hurly-burly bustle of today's business world, some of the people you meet should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?

For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give..

In the Scout Law we strive to be helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, and cheerful. What better way to start than with showing off your smile to others.