GriffinEpstein

1stHonorsEnglish
O'Connor
27October2015
OneDayInJuly

July3,2013wasoneofthestrangestdaysofmylife.ItisadaythatIwillprobablynever
forget.Itwasadayofmixedemotionsforeverybodyinvolvedintheoccurrencesofthisday.
ThereweremanylessonslearnedonthatdayandasthedaywentonIknewIwouldtelling
manypeopleaboutthisdayforalongtime.
IthadbeenafunbutexhaustingbackpackingtripforthebunkofB7asthepiledintothetwo
vehicleswaitingforthemataparkinglotintheNorthwestcornerofYosemiteNationalParkon
July3,2013.TheyhadspenttwodaysandonenightcampingbytheshoreofLakeEleanorin
Yosemite.Therehadbeengreatfunswimminginthelakeandhavingmanyotheradventures
includingseeingasnake,asalamander,andlearningarmytacticsonhowtosneakupon
someone.AformerIDFsoldierandoneofB7'scounselorsShaihadtaughtthebunk.

Howeverafterthe3milehikebacktothecarswithbackpacksthatfeltliketheyweigheda
millionpoundsandtoomanymosquitosbitestocounttheboyswerehappytobeheadedback
tocamp.Ourwildernessleader,Benny,wasdrivingonecarthathadstayedattheparkinglot
whileadriverfromcamphaddrivenuptotheparkinglotthatday.Iwasinthedriverfrom
camp'scarwhocalmlytalkedwithourothercounselorRandyaboutavarietyoftopicsnot
mentioninganythingaboutaneventhappeningatcamp.
OverthetwohourridebacktoCampTawongawhichisjustoutsideofYosemitemanyboys
driftedofftosleeplookingforwardtoanicecoolshowerandthenthecarnivalthatnightasthey
bakedfromthesunshiningthroughthewindows.AscampgotcloserIstarteddreamingabout
playingpingpongandicecreamthatnightatthecarnival.Finallyafteracarridethatfeltlike
forever,asIcouldnotfallasleep,weturnedupthedirtroadthatwasthedrivewaytocamp.
Rightbeforewecrestedoverthelasthillanddescendedontheplacethathadbeenmyhome
foralmosttwoweeksourdriverstoppedourcarandpulledovergesturingtheothercarbehind
ustoalsopullover.Thedrivergotoutandhadashortconversationwithourtwocounselorsas
the12boysinourbunkwaitedimpatiently.Iassumedthattheyweretalkinglogisticsoverour
unpackingofoursuppliesfromourtrip.
Thenwecrestedoverthehillandlookedoutathomesweethomebutasweapproachedthe
gateenteringcampwesawfivenewstrucksalllinedupinfrontofthecampentrance.NBC,
ABC,CBS,and,FOXstationsfromSacramentowherealltherealongwithABC7newsfromthe
BayArea.Acouplecameramenwherefilmingastheboyslookedonwithshock.Withthe
cameramenfilmingalltheboysleanedovertothesideofthecarwhereoneofthemwasand
wavedfranticallyathimhopingtobeonT.V.Butalsopanickedbecauseoftheconfusion.At
thattimeIknewwouldbetellingthisstorylaterbutwhatwouldbetheresolutionIhadnoidea.
Wewereallinthepanicknowingthatsomethingatcamphadhappenedandmostofus
suspectingitwasnotagoodthingbecausewouldnewstrucksreallyshowupifnothingbadhad
happened?

AsourcarspassedinthegatesofcampInoticedsomethingweird,therewasabsolutely
nobodywalkingaroundincampwhichisalmostunheardheardofunlessthereissomething
unusualhappening.Ialsonoticedpowerlinesthatseemedtobehangingunusuallylowoverthe
lakeandaPG&EtruckthatIknewwasn'ttypicallythere.
OurcarsturnedintotheWildernessShedwhereweunpackedoursuppliesfromthetrip.
Howevertherewasamoodhangingoverthecampasthethetypicallyjoyousunitcounselors
theretogreetussemmedshaken.Iasked"Doyouknowwhathappened?"tooneofourunit
counselors(whohadbeenatcampwhileweweregone.)
Igota"Idon'tknow.Haveyouwashedallyourpotsandpansyouwerecarrying?"inresponse.
Itwasanobviouschangeofsubjectanswer.Evenoneofthecamp'sdirectors,Andy,onewho
wasalwayshappyandfunnycouldonlysmilewhenJonahoneofmyfriendsinthebunkmade
aninsidejoketoAndy.Andycontinuedrunningaroundlookingveryflusteredandbarking
commandsintohisWalkieTalkieandwereceivedlittleinformationonwhathadhappened.All
ourbunkhadconcludedthatsomethinghadhappenedtothedininghallornearitbecausewe
heardourcounselorstalkingaboutdinnerbythegagapit.
Finallywewalkedtoourbunkwheremanyofourquestionswereansweredaswewalkedin
betweenthedininghallandthelake.Thestagewassplitinhalfasalargeredwoodtreewas
lyinginbetweenitwithit'sjaggedstumpstickingupbehindit.Thistreewhichhadholdedthe
lightingforthestagemusthavebeenmanyhundredyearsoldhadalsodestroyedallthewood
benchesinfrontofthestage.Powerlineswereclearlydownandindeedtwopowerlinesthat
hadbeenknockeddownlieddangerouslyclosetothelake'ssurface.MorePG&Etruckswhere
nexttothetree.WewerenotsureitanythingelsehadbeendamagedbutIknewtherewould
benocarnivalinthedininghallthatnight.
Wegotbacktoourbunkwherewewereinformedthatwecouldonlyleavethebunktogoto
thebathroomandthecounselorswouldgiveusnomoreinformation.Thebunkalltookshowers
andgotrestbutthetreewasontopofeverybody'smind.
LaterinthatdayIsawastartlingsightwhenaboutfourpeoplethatlookedlikecounselors
weresobbingonabench.ThiswassoshockingasTawongaIhadthoughtofasanalmost
reallifeShangriLawhereeverybodywashappyandnothingcouldgowrong.Itwasalmostnot
reallifewhereeverythingwasamazingsoforthefirsttimeIsawpeoplelookingabsolutely
miserableandhorrified.That'swhenIknewthatsomethingtragichadhappened.
Thatnightwehadcoldwrapsfordinnernexttothegagapitwiththeentirecamp.Themuted
carnivalwasheldatA&Calmostasfarawayfromthedininghallaspossible.Theelectricitywas
outforallofthatnightbutreturnedthenextmorning.Wenevergotmanymoredetailsaboutthe
treeexceptthatithadfallenthemorningwereturnedduringbreakfastwhileatcamp.Wegotto
returntothedininghallthenextdayandwhilesomeplanshadtobechangedmostofcamplife
returnedtonormalbeforewereturnedhomeinafewdayslater.
OnedayafterIreturnedhomefrommysecondyearatCampTawongamyparentstoldmethe
fulltreestory.OnthatfatefuldayofJuly3rdthecamphadbeeneatingbreakfastinthedining
whenaloudboomingsoundstartledeverybody.Specialistsofthecamp(artspecialists,
waterfrontstaff,wildernessleaders,Jewishprogrammers,etc.)eatoutsidethedininghallonthe
woodenbenchesinthefrontofthestage.That'swheremanyofthemwherewhenaveryheavy
treecamecrashingdown.Thetreeseriouslyinjuredthreepeoplewhilemanyothercameaway

withscratchesandbruisesbutnothingmore.Nocampersweretouchedbythetree.The
camperswererushedoutthebackdoorsofthedininghallandwaitedonGirlsSidefieldfor
manyhoursbutonlyviewedahelicoptertakingawaytheseriouslyinjuredtothehospital.Two
oftheinjuredmadefullrecoveriesbutunfortunatelythethirdanartspecialistwhohadhelped
ourbunkmakecandlesearlierinthesessionpassedawayinthehospital.
TheseeventstaughtmemanythingsincludinghowspecialCampTawongaisbutthatat
anytimeanythingcanhappenandthatIshouldn'ttakeaspecialplaceforgranted.Ihave
continuedtogotoCampTawongafortwomoreyearsnowandhavedefinitelyspentthebest
weeksofmylifethere.AnotherlessonisthatlifeispreciousandthatIshouldtakeadvantageof
everymoment.Youneverknowwhatmighthappensoyoumustliveeverymomentofyourlife
tothefullest.