“I would come back from fourteen hours on the river and Marc would be like ‘Where were you guys?’. I would look at him and be like ‘Marc! We were training!’ and he would look at me with a tear in his eye because he would be so damn proud. ‘But where are the rafts?’ he would ask. And i would say ‘Rafts? Fuck that Marc, I made them swim every rapid!’ and he would say ‘The student has become the Master.’….and all the trainees would be ‘Fuck, i quit.’”
—Joey P.
I know this isn’t funny to anyone but me and the people at the guide house who know Marc Brown. But then again, the people who hang out at the guide house don’t have time for Tumblrs. I love the guide house. More than any place in the world. Everyone there is so different, and so free. There should be a sign over the front door:
“Check all self consciousness here. Oh, and Welcome Home”
And i’m understanding that if i admit to my inexperience and open myself up to learn, everyone there is willing to teach. And everyone there promises patience. Morals and lack thereof are all welcome. Bring your guitars, your hearts, your stories. Theres plenty of room around the fire. This summer will be a lesson in tolerance, and patience, and acceptance, and overcoming my own self doubt, and strengthening myself both physically and mentally. And i know no one will read this. and i don’t care anymore. This is for me to remember weeks down the road when i’m up late and scrolling through old posts.
Dear Cathy, remember you will always have more to learn, but they have more than proven that they will be there to teach you. Swallow your pride, you will never be the best, and don’t forget to speak up, they won’t teach you unless you want to learn. Respect everyone, and they will return the favor. Don’t ever think of your age as an obstacle, and everyone else will never even consider it a factor. You will get stronger, but never be to proud to ask for help. Remember, theres a difference between being helpless and needing help.
“The only difference between you and the guides who have worked here for years is you guys are doing unpaid training, and they are doing paid training.”
-Marc S. Brown (what does the ‘s’ stand for? we don’t know, he won’t tell us.”
