An Eagle Scout

Tony was our navigator. Tony was a good navigator. He had a knack for knowing just where we were on the trail relative to the map. He was great at knowing which fork to take and for telling the real trails from the false trails where others before us had gotten it wrong. He could actually find where a trail picked back up on the other side of a creek crossing just from the change in vegetation. But Tony was fast and strong and had an unfortunate habit of getting too far ahead. So after some warnings, he was banned to the back of the group. Just behind me. I had to snarl a few times to keep him from walking too close on my heels for my claustrophobic comfort, but soon came to appreciate him back there. He would sense my energy lagging and would make some encouraging comment that sounded at first like a complaint but turned itself around before ending, like “Today sure has been hard work. We’ve gone about 5 miles but I bet we could do another 5 couldn’t we? And we only have about 2 left.” Or “I am tired too, but we can make it. I wonder it the campsite tonight will be as pretty as last night.” Or his simple "Aw, sure you can." to my frequent "I can't do this." He kept me going on many occasions with his quiet encouragements and his smile. Tony was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout a couple months ago at a very serious and solemn ceremony at his church. But it was only a formality. To me, Tony was an Eagle in the Daniel Boone National Wilderness in Kentucky in the summer of 2005.
Postscript: And this evening, Tony was awarded a Citizenship Award by his town. It is a fine thing to be honored with the friendship of an Eagle Scout.