One Terrifying Night in Central Oregon

The events of that night grow dim in my memory, but certain aspects of those events remain vivid, even as time passes. And time.... Time always passes.

The events of that night changed me. They changed my life. Yet, in many ways, the essential I—whoever I am at the core of my personality—in a nature vs. nurture sense—remains unchanged.

In some ways the lives of my friends and family, too, have changed. Some of those changes have been the natural result of the passing of time. (And folks, time always passes.) Some of the other changes were the result of the events of that night.

That night, that night. How does one begin to explain a night like that? If you've never experienced a night like that, dear reader, then you don't know—so I will tell you—how one night can alter many aspects of your life, while simultaneously altering your perception of the aspects of your life that remained the same.

How does one begin to explain a night so terrifying, a night so shocking, that it chills me still to my very soul to even think of it? I wish I could think of a way.

Heed my warning, kind reader, you reader of words with kindness in your heart: If you ever go into the forest, into the coniferous, rich, deep forests of Central Oregon, and if, upon going into that forest, you encounter events of life-changing importance, with profound implications for the life of one man—in my case me, and in your hypothetical case, beneficent reader, you—I urge you to document those events, that they may serve as a warning to others who might one day enter the rich, dark coniferous forests of Central Oregon.

I, for one, will do the same.

---

Originally uploaded on September 14, 2015

Comments • 0

Loading comments...