Go West Young Man pt. 2

In many ways, the 'ants in the pants' situation, though very literal, was also simply the figurative tip of the iceberg in terms of what my luck would end up being while in New River. It seemed as though if there were a scenario that could unfold, I would be center stage. Looking back, all one could do was shake one's head.

My introduction to the varied ranges of angry little critters that not only would leave a welt but could potentially put you in the ground started with scorpions. It included black widows, rattlesnakes, along with a wide assortment of horny toads that squirted blood and ground squirrels that would not think twice about taking a chunk out of your finger, even if you saved the darn thing from the jaws of a feline.

The best way to describe an overview of the whole thing would be to include the times when I would get off the bus. The bus would drop us off at the beginning of the driveway for the rehab. Oftentimes, I would get off the bus and just sort of be in a daze. I think some of it was simply being overstimulated for a long time and then worn out. I would slowly walk up the lane carrying/ dragging my backpack. On one of these occasions, there I was, trudging up the lane heading for the trailer. My footsteps this day led me past where the horseshoe pits were. Walking, I noticed a rake lying on the ground next to the horseshoe pit. Without much thought, I decided to step on the rake's teeth. Sure enough, just as one might expect, thwack! Having stepped on the teeth, the handle of the rake shot up and hit me square between the eyes. I stood there stunned for a moment, probably not because of what had just happened but because of what had just happened. Sure enough, just like how they describe it, I saw stars. If I had been in a cartoon, it would have shown birds and stars floating around the outside of my head. After regaining my composure, I glanced around, making sure that no one had just seen what had just happened. Then, I continued on to the trailer. Upon reaching it, climbing up the steps, and walking in, my mother looked at the gigantic knot that had formed on my forehead and asked what in the world I had done. After explaining the error of judgment to her, she simply shook her head and rolled her eyes.