We're still on the Island. Workshop over, in deference to Charlie's instructions, I've been wandering all over, hiking over mountains and scrambling across coastal rocks, looking for my favorite place on the Island.
Of course, I'm not just doing it because Charlie asked me to. It's like this with most of my assignments from him--he tells me to do things I basically want to do anyway, only in a better-organized and more dedicated way than I would have thought of doing. Which is more or less what he promised when we started out and he promised to be my boogeyman, the person I could use as extra motivation when I felt lazy.
I wonder, though, to what extent I've learned to want to do things like thoroughly explore a single island from Charlie? How much has he shaped me?
In any case, most of my excursions have been in company with David--just like last year, he tries to get out on his own as much as he can. Exploring with me is one way to do that, and he's good company. And he's an excellent naturalist.
But today, when I got back from the shoreline, ready to go up yet another mountain, I found that David had already gone--with Julie.
"They don't need adults" Lo explained. "They're all but grown now. I just don't want them out by themselves. It's good to see them re-connecting. It's always hard on Jule when David goes on to a new developmental stage and leaves her behind for a year or two."
"So, who plays with Alexis, now that they both teenagers?" I asked.
"I'm hoping you will."
"Me?"
"She's almost seven. She can hike almost everywhere you can. And she needs somebody other than her parents to make special time for her."
So, now I'm exploring, looking for my favorite place on the Island, with Alexis.
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