[pct-l] Birth Control: a similar study

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

>>To a freshly bathed, groomed, and cleanly clothed
>potential sex partner, 
>>you're probably right.
>>BUT, to that same person in the same condition as
>>you........that could be a 
>>different matter entirely.


And therein lies a tale of being naive and never
underestimating human  er, interests...

If you looked at Chuckie's fine pic of me, I have a
Grizzly Adams mtn man look going when I am in
thru-hiking mode (If Grizzly Adams wore bargain
basement clothes, never showered and looked like an
extra from "Pirates of the Carribean"). Besides being
scary looking it also means I am in also in shape,
tanned and look like a genuine burly outdoor dude. 

Like many PCTers, have also hiked the AT. In 1998, was
24 years old, a bit shy around women and could not
take a hint if I was hit with an anvil.

One fine, sunny July day was on top of Mt. Moosilauke
(sp) in New Hampshire. The day was perfect. Blue
skies, no clouds and was above treeline for the first
time on my AT hike. It also helped that there were two
lovely young ladies on the mountain from Dartmouth.
(The Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the mountain.) 
Was up there for 4-5 hrs enjoying the stay on top,
chatting with the young women and relaxing. Towards
the latter part of the afternoon one of the women said
"Hey..you should come down to the lodge tonight. You
can hang with us and watch the fireworks later tonight
on the summit". (Raven Lodge is located on the side of
Moosiluakee) 

What did I do? Did I readily jump at the chance to
spend some time in the company of said young woman;
enjoying fireworks, a hot meal that did not consist of
the word LIPTONS and who knows what else ?

No..of course not. Like many males in their early 20s,
had a mild case of "testesterone poisoning" and felt
the need to do more miles. :)  As mentioned, was also
shy around women at the time, and only in retrospect
did I realize that golly, gee maybe they thought I was
interesting on some level.

The moral of the story?

1) No matter how dirty and smelly you are, you may be
appealing to other people who are also currently dirty
and smelly

2) If my 2005 self could go back in time to my 1998
self, would slap him silly. Stupid!Stupid! Stupid!
I can assure you, the company I kept that night (other
bearded, smelly guys at a shelter) was not as good as
watching fireworks on a mtn summit with a female
college student. :)



Mags (who suprinsingly took the hint from my current
girlfriend...)







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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau
http://www.magnanti.com