Thanksgiving Places Research Paper

I spent some time thinking of some meaningful places to me but the one that stands out the most is a table. Its not an ordinary table but rather yet a very long picnic table, one that could hold about forty people. During the summer months this table is filled with some of the most interesting and friendly people I have ever been around. For the past three years I have worked for a whitewater rafting company on one of the more challenging rivers in the Southeast. Our home base is what we call the “outpost”, its where we eat, sleep, shower, and live our lives in what some people might call a barbaric way of life. The outpost consists of about forty or so river guides that take people down challenging class four and five whitewater during the day and then come home for an evening of events at night. At the outpost we have one raft guide that has decided to lay down their paddle in order to supply the community with delicious food every night at 6. Tired from paddling on the river all day, river guides are relaxing but mostly hungry. Some are lying down in what we call “bungalows” it’s an extravagant way of describing the home
depot shed that we live in. Others are hanging out in the cook shack, a living room type quarters with two couches and a bunch of comfortable chairs. Around 5:30 or so people will start migrating to the cook shack corner in order to prepare themselves for the jump of the bell in order to get in line first for food. Then it happens, our cook opens the door and rings the mighty bell, which is really just a wind chime, and people from all corners of the outpost gather into the kitchen to get in line for some food. Once food is gathered people will start making their way to the picnic table. We eat at this table for about 120 days, everyday, for the entire summer, and you can say some pretty special moments occur here. I’m here to tell you about the river culture, community, and the value of friendship that occurs at this table.

When first introduced to the river culture I was a bit shocked but something had been awoken that had always been a part of me. I had kayaked, camped, hiked, and done just about every outdoor activity growing up but had never experienced it like this. The river culture embraces the lifestyle 100% consisting of some interesting social identities. At the table you will find that most men have long untrimmed beards except for those whose genetics don’t allow. A majority of the women at the table have unshaved underarms and legs embracing their natural form. Almost all individuals at the table are in very good shape as fitness is a core value in our culture. Our jobs tend to be very physically demanding as the day starts out with a quarter mile 115Ib raft carry down to the river in which we carry by ourselves on top of our head. At the outpost running and mountain biking are encouraged. We also have a pull-up bar that’s ten yards away from the table, contests do occur sometimes after dinner. Besides for the physical social identities I’ve told you about the mind of river guides are full of ideas. You can say that there is a special place for rivers, mountains, and nature embedded in the minds of the forty people at the table. Joined by a common interest these people create the strongest of bonds every day on the water and off it.

At the table tales of the river are told. Some from the present day or mighty tails form the past usually consisting of a big flip or an interesting guest. Some of the elder guides tell the mightiest tales, as story telling is an important value in our culture. It seems that one of the members of our community has fallen out of their raft today. In order to challenge one self and have motivation to be the best you can be on the water everyday, some of the guides play by a code of honor. Basically if you fall out of your raft at any point of the day for any reason you will be supplying the community with a twelve pack. It is placed in the middle of the table for guides to enjoy. At the table people usually sit in the same spot everyday. The veterans sit on the far left side, as it is shaded from the powerful sun that blazes through the leaves of the giant pine trees. The rookies and newer guides will sit on the right were the sunshines on them. Respect is an important value and the newer guides always leave the left side for the veterans as they have sat in the same seat as them before.

As I was thinking about the stories that went along the table I started to think deeper into what the table meant to me.
The table isn’t just a place to eat food but a home, a home that holds forty of my closest friends. Forty people who share the same values, culture, and love for adventure. The table matters to me because I know I can always come home to people who truly care about me. The value of friendship is one of the most important feelings that I feel a human can have. Finding a culture that accepts you is difficult to come by especially in our technological world today. With the use of social media and other social applications it seems that people don’t even know how to talk to each other anymore. So finding a place where I can call home every summer is very important to me. I know there will always be room for one more at the
table.