For the past three days, my friend Trae has been visiting me. He was on spring break this week, and we have not seen each other since summer camp, so he drove to Mansfield to see me. On Wednesday he arrived around one thirty in the afternoon, and he did not leave until about the same time today.
I was very happy to see Trae again. He is one of the best friends I made at camp, and although we have not seen each other since last August, we have kept in touch through email and Facebook. For me, Trae is very much like the sickly brother I never had. He has quite a few health problems, but I admire him because of his ability to take it all in stride. He makes jokes about his problems and does his best to live normally instead of just breaking down. I have never met a stronger individual in my life, and I doubt if I will meet many more people with the intrinsic drive that Trae possesses.
Although I was not able to spend as much time as I would have liked to with Trae, we still had a good time together. We made jokes at other people's expenses, caught up on what we've missed, and spent some time talking about life in general. I had wanted to show him around my campus, but my work schedule was overloaded this week (of course I would have extra hours on the one week that I don't want them), and I was also overloaded with homework. Still, Trae showed himself around the campus while I was working or at class. I made sure he did not have to pay for food, but unfortunately there are not many places to park without a permit, and Trae got a parking ticket. He justified that the ticket was not nearly as much as he was expecting to pay for food, so he would not let me pay for the ticket.
He was pretty funny, too. We reminisced about summer camp experiences and related college experiences. He always seemed to have a joke ready to lighten the mood. On the drive down to Williamsport and back, Trae was a constant conversant, which is something I really enjoy while I'm driving. He was also quick to make fun of me when I missed the exit, not just once, but twice.
Today he had to say good bye, but not before giving me something. He handed me a white booklet from the OA Family Banquet, and told me to look inside. (For all of those that do not know, the OA, or the Order of the Arrow, is an honor group within the Boy Scouts of America. The Family Banquet is a night when our entire Lodge gathers to eat and award its members.) I was unable to attend the Banquet due to money problems and also a scheduling conflict, so I thought that Trae wanted to show me something that had happened during the Banquet. Inside the booklet where two envelopes, each containing a different lodge flap. (A lodge flap is a patch that identifies the lodge of the wearer. Each lodge has many different flaps for different occasions.) The first flap was the one I would have received if I had been at the Banquet, and the second was a kind of award because it contained "Team Enda '08," which is the mark of the actor. I knew I would be receiving that one because I was a part of quite a few ceremonies last year. I was about to close the booklet when he told me not to. He told me to read the page where the envelopes were placed, and I noticed that a friend and fellow Freedom Staff member Greg was accepted into the Vigil class of 2009.
I was excited for Greg, and expressed my gratitude towards Trae for showing me that information. However, as I was about to close the booklet again, Trae told me to stop and turn the page. My name appeared on the next page with a full biography, just as Greg's had, and I was speechless. Of all people, I never thought that I would stand a chance to earn my Vigil Honor, and now the chance has been presented to me. I was selected by the lodge committee, and I must now complete an ordeal of sorts to obtain the Vigil Honor. Still, I am having difficulty accepting that I am a member of the Vigil class of 2009.
I will be undergoing my trial at Heritage Reservation during the weekend of May 15 through May 17. I am not entirely sure what I must do, but I intend to prevail. Wish me luck.
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