A simple camping trip turned into a family running for their lives. Many years ago we decided to get away from the San Francisco summer fog and head out to the lake. Lake Tahoe was too far the campsites were all full at Shaver Lake so we decided to pack our gear and drive up to Folsom Lake. We had heard there was some nice camping and swimming there.
When we arrived, the campground had emptied out and it was sunset. After a long afternoon of driving in the heat. It was time to set up camp quickly before sunset and also take a dip in the cold lake. My daughter and I opted to swim while my husband at the time set up camp and prepped for dinner.
When we got down to the water, only a few people were swimming. The sun was starting to set and the place had emptied out. You could see remnants of a busy and packed day in the sun but now it was quiet. I chose to lay on a log to catch the last bit of warmth from the sun. It felt good to finally relax after driving so many miles in the sun. 
Just as I layed down across a log, I heard the loud raspy voice coming from a woman down by the lake who shouted out, “hey you, get off my towel, don’t you lay on it.”
I sat up, looked around wondering who was screaming and if it was directed at me. I looked at at the calm water and there stood this hefty woman with a few friends all looking in my direction. With a mean glare, she said, “that’s right, I’m talking to you, get away from my towel, NOW.”
I was stunned, especially since I never touched her towel. I looked over at my daughter who had this look of confusion and wonder on her face. She thought I did lay on her towel but was also fearful of this woman who was verbally attacking her mother. Wait a minute- we were just minding our own business and now we were in the midst of someone’s angry and misdirected venom.
Suddenly something came over me that I could not control. A combination of anger, adrenaline and defiance took over and I sat up, picked up her towel that was draped over the log and threw it down on the sand. I immediately looked at my daughter and said, “let’s get out of here now, let’s run.”
We bolted out of there and ran back to our campground where I announced it was time to pack up and leave our site. We were being chased, we could hear a chorus of wet nasty voices coming closer more nasty voices running closer.
We never returned to Folsom Lake after that nasty experience but I realized that when I am pushed to my core by someone’s angry and unwarrented anger, I react. I start acting as badly as I’m being treated. I rebel, revolt, become insubordinate, unruly and just plain impossible. I forget all about the high-road and I dive deep into the trenches for some heavy emotional mud-slinging with the rest of them.
How do you react when you are placed in situations that test your core strength?
No Comments Yet