MR. AITKEN'S CLASS
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Feedback
    • The Classic Cars
    • Blog
    • assessmentimages
    • Family
  • Calendar
  • After High School
  • English
    • Senior English
    • Vocabulary Activities
    • Internet Investigations
    • Portfolio Project >
      • Student Samples
    • Writing Resources >
      • Poetry Unit
      • Jackie Robinson Resources
      • ELD Writing
      • Writing Ideas
      • Writing Games
      • Daily Sentences >
        • September Sentences
        • October Sentences
        • November Sentences
        • December Sentences
        • January Sentences
        • February Sentences
        • March Sentences
    • Researching
    • Reading Story Resources
  • Summer School
    • AEF English Bridge Class
    • Marine Biology
    • Bolus Images
    • Marine Places to Visit
  • Science
    • Science News Sites
    • 7th Grade Science Assignments >
      • Paramecium Lab
      • 7th Grade Science Vocabulary
    • Science Assignments and Lab Reports
    • 5th Grade Science
    • 6th Grade Science >
      • 6th Grade Science Vocabulary
    • Science Test Review Material
    • 8th Grade Science
    • Science Resources >
      • Science Interactive Games
      • Ecology Resources
      • Magnetism
      • Atmosphere Resources
      • Water Cycle Resources
    • Science Trip >
      • Science Trip Day 1
      • Science Trip Day 2
      • Science Trip Day 3
      • Science Trip Day 4
      • Science Trip Day 5
  • Resources
    • Middle School Literature
    • Interactive Whiteboard
    • Common Core
    • Math
    • Educade Activties
    • ESL Resources
    • Blogs and Wikis
    • Online Multimedia Resources
    • GATE Resources
    • Social Studies >
      • Social Studies Activties
  • Digital Resources
    • Digital Citizenship
    • Technology Tools
    • Internet Safety
    • Scratch Projects
    • Multimedia Projects >
      • Digital Storytelling
      • Digital Photos
      • Digital Photography
      • Multimedia Projects 2
      • Multimedia Project Edited Images
  • Mock Trial
    • US Constitution
  • Performance Task
    • 7th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 1
    • 7th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 2 and 3
    • 6th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 1
    • 6th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 2 and 3
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 1
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 2
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 3 and 4
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 1
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 2
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 3 and 4
    • Trimester 2 Writing Task Article
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Writing Task Blog
    • 7th Grade Trimester 3 Performance Task
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Article resource
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Blog Resource

7/1/2011

The Sunday Afternoon Walk

16 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
I got myself into a big mess once.  Well, only once that I feel like explaining now.  I was twenty years old and we were hiking in the mountains above Hong Kong.  We were so close to the city that we could see the lights and see the harbor.  That gave us a false sense of security.  I was hiking in an area called the Eagle's Nest.  It was December but the weather was not too cold.  Three families decided we would hike the short trail and come back to our cars before it was dark. The other kids in the family were between the ages of 12 and 20.  Several of us moved ahead quickly while the parents took their time.  We soon became separated but two of my friends knew exactly where we were going so I was not concerned.  About half way through the hike you come to an area with a beautiful view of the city of Kowloon.  We stood and watched for a while assuming that our parents and the younger kids would soon show up.  After several minutes when they had not arrived we moved on.  From there we went down some steps to connect to another trail to take us back to the parking lot.  At the bottom of the steps we turned left. 

We arrived back at the parking lot in about 20 minutes.  The temperature was dropping and it would be dark soon.  We waited patiently for our parents and the others to arrive.  As darkness descended there was no sign of them.  We began to worry. 

We knew that none of us should be alone so some of us stayed at the cars in case the others returned and some of us headed back down the narrow trail that lead into the woods.  It was difficult to see and as the light faded quickly we had to watch our step.  We were running as quickly as was safe.  Soon we reached the bottom of the steps.  Two or three of us stayed at the bottom and two or three of us ran up the steps.  They came back shortly to say there was no sign of the other at the look out point.

The path continued on in front of us.  This was new territory to us since we had turned left at the bottom of the steps to get to the parking lot, this was the other direction.  We continued running.  The ground was moist dirt, not quite mud, but slippery enough to make us move cautiously.  After about 20 more minutes of running we found everyone.  They had realized as it got dark that the path they were following was not leading them to where we had left the cars.  They had turned around and started heading back.  We were very concerned about Robert and Ian's mother since she has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and she was fairly weak.  The walk had been very long for here and turning the wrong direction had made it even longer.  Robert and Ian helped their mom and the rest of us made sure our parents were okay.

I was reminded of a rule I should have followed that day.  Never separate your group.  Always travel together.  Many of us had climbed mountains and traveled for days in the mountains on dangerous paths.  The nearness of the city and its lights had fooled us into thinking that the rule did not apply that Sunday afternoon.  After all, it was just a Sunday afternoon walk.

Share

16 Comments
Details

    Author

    Mr Aitken

    Archives

    February 2023
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2018
    June 2016
    June 2014
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    Accomplishments
    Baseball
    Books
    Bother
    College
    Family
    Goals
    Hobby
    Hong Kong
    Interesting
    Investigation
    Invisible
    Job
    Mercedes
    Mistake
    Movies
    Music
    Questions
    School
    Science
    Summer Trip
    Teachers
    Weather
    Wish

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from digitalmoneyworld, Thomas Tolkien
  • Home
    • About Me
    • Feedback
    • The Classic Cars
    • Blog
    • assessmentimages
    • Family
  • Calendar
  • After High School
  • English
    • Senior English
    • Vocabulary Activities
    • Internet Investigations
    • Portfolio Project >
      • Student Samples
    • Writing Resources >
      • Poetry Unit
      • Jackie Robinson Resources
      • ELD Writing
      • Writing Ideas
      • Writing Games
      • Daily Sentences >
        • September Sentences
        • October Sentences
        • November Sentences
        • December Sentences
        • January Sentences
        • February Sentences
        • March Sentences
    • Researching
    • Reading Story Resources
  • Summer School
    • AEF English Bridge Class
    • Marine Biology
    • Bolus Images
    • Marine Places to Visit
  • Science
    • Science News Sites
    • 7th Grade Science Assignments >
      • Paramecium Lab
      • 7th Grade Science Vocabulary
    • Science Assignments and Lab Reports
    • 5th Grade Science
    • 6th Grade Science >
      • 6th Grade Science Vocabulary
    • Science Test Review Material
    • 8th Grade Science
    • Science Resources >
      • Science Interactive Games
      • Ecology Resources
      • Magnetism
      • Atmosphere Resources
      • Water Cycle Resources
    • Science Trip >
      • Science Trip Day 1
      • Science Trip Day 2
      • Science Trip Day 3
      • Science Trip Day 4
      • Science Trip Day 5
  • Resources
    • Middle School Literature
    • Interactive Whiteboard
    • Common Core
    • Math
    • Educade Activties
    • ESL Resources
    • Blogs and Wikis
    • Online Multimedia Resources
    • GATE Resources
    • Social Studies >
      • Social Studies Activties
  • Digital Resources
    • Digital Citizenship
    • Technology Tools
    • Internet Safety
    • Scratch Projects
    • Multimedia Projects >
      • Digital Storytelling
      • Digital Photos
      • Digital Photography
      • Multimedia Projects 2
      • Multimedia Project Edited Images
  • Mock Trial
    • US Constitution
  • Performance Task
    • 7th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 1
    • 7th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 2 and 3
    • 6th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 1
    • 6th Grade First Trimester Narrative Day 2 and 3
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 1
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 2
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Day 3 and 4
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 1
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 2
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Day 3 and 4
    • Trimester 2 Writing Task Article
    • 7th Grade Trimester 2 Writing Task Blog
    • 7th Grade Trimester 3 Performance Task
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Article resource
    • 6th Grade Trimester 2 Blog Resource