There are a lot of things in life that I would say are unfathomable. At least in my case, I find it hard to fathom most things, and no I’m not referring to the measurable unit for the depth of water “Fathom” which is approximately 6ft (1.8m). I’m talking about the brain, and while I could, after some consideration, produce a sizable essay filled only with the things I do not understand; I’ll spare you but one. Number one on this list is the fact that my service term is ending so soon. I knew the dates when I signed the contract, but if I would have known how transient the moments I’ve had here would be I would have stayed as long as possible
It is truly amazing how much can happen after the start of a new year. I’ve learned a lot so far within these two months. The one that sticks out the most to me is the tragedy of Soups. In my 22 years I can say with confidence that I never really had many mishaps in the kitchen besides the occasional dropped plate or burnt burger on the grill, however within the two first months of 2020 I managed to create such grand catastrophes that I am unsure if they can ever be outdone. First in “The Tale of Two Soups” it was the best of tomatoes and the worst of tomatoes. After realizing my tomatoes were becoming a little over-ripe I decided it was time to put them to good use. Through careful consideration I came to the conclusion that they must be put in a soup. I had never made tomato soup before and to be completely honest I had no intention on looking up a recipe. Ultimately, winging it led to a quite creamy and aromatic pot of tomato soup. Though my nuclear orange mixture seemed finished I noticed that the chunks of tomato were still, well...chunky. I needed a way to create a more homogeneous soup and what better way to do so than by putting it IN A BLENDER. I stood humming over the counter while I poured the liquid hot magma into the blender. After affixing it to its console it was time for the second to last step in this process..plugging it in. As an innocent lad, I did not know that a blender could be left on though unplugged and so when electrical currents once again flowed through the blender’s metallic veins, it roared a mighty roar and spewed its fire all over the kitchen. The burning sensation incited ancient fight or flight instincts and I ran from the room. The blender continued to rage, and the adrenaline coursing through me gave me newfound courage. I charged back into the room and began the battle. While brief, I achieved glory, though I was not without my own scars. Upon my face was a glorious 2nd degree burn from my lip to my neck. While this was a great tragedy, the greatest of them all is leaving the SLA.
Diving back into the unfathomable (get it because diving and fathom is a unit of measure for water?! Ha ha haaa, eh), I cannot stress enough how gutting it is to know I’m leaving soon. Through this experience I have met so many kind, considerate, hilarious, and overall amazing people. Getting to go out with the community on hikes has been wonderful. I recall a sunrise hike where I was hypothetically adopted by two lovely members of the community as their grandson, however I wouldn’t doubt that they might do it for real. We even received care packages from those we interacted with without asking anything in return. The life of Squam that you become a part of is so inviting and becomes something you will never truly be without. This can also be said for my fellow AmeriCorps as well. The relationships we formed are so bizarre, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The moment I walked into the cottage I was met with by a motley bunch huddled around the table carving pumpkins and within the first 30 minutes of our interactions together I knew I was in the right place. While carving a pumpkin with someone isn’t always a true mark of friendship, it can let you know a lot about a person by what they carve. All of us, every single one, carved something so weird, it was pure entertainment. From late night owl calling, overly competitive game nights, skiing trips, and spontaneous nights on the town, you could always find yourself getting into some goofiness somewhere. I’m not sure what I will do without the good laughs, late nights baking bread, accidentally breaking things at the SLA, molasses cookies, and movie nights, but I sure am glad to have experienced them.
Moses is a half-time member who enjoys baking bread, whittling spoons, and being a general goof. You can learn more about Moses here!