From the Tiger Beat Archives, June 1969
Some of my very favorite times were when I go camping with my family… But it was just one of those trips that led to a terrifying experience for me! I can remember pretty clearly about my childhood, and this may be a clue to some of the inner workings of my mind, is my time in the Cub Scouts. Just about the time my friends and I were turning seven, one of the boy’s father started a Cub Scout Troop. Well, there was nothing more exciting to me at the time than being like the rest of the guys and joining right away!
The first thing that happened was we all received a book of instructions. We have to learn all the rules in the pledge and, if I remember correctly, only when we learned them all perfectly, were we made Cub Scouts. My mom and dad thought it was a groovy idea and one Saturday afternoon they took me down to one of the big department stores in Los Angeles and I got my Cub Scout uniform. I could hardly wait until the next Tuesday, which was Cub Scout Day at school, the day all the Cub Scouts would wear their uniforms.
EARN BADGES
Well, once I got my uniform, I wasn’t content to have it look plain–I had to go out and earn some merit badges so I would have medals all over the front. What happened then was quite strange. Once I got the instruction book on how to earn my merit badges, it wasn’t long before I really lost interest in the whole thing. For example, there was a set of instructions on how to build a birdhouse. But it was no fun for me because it gave the step-by-step instructions
It just didn’t excite me to follow a book. Even to this day I always have more fun figuring things out myself. Like my Disneyland model was completely my idea. There were no instructions or models to follow, except the real park! And a few years ago, when I built my studio, it was completely by trial and error. In the Cub Scouts, if I followed the book and made the birdhouse, it just wouldn’t have been an achievement for me. So, it wasn’t long before I dropped out of the Boy Scouts completely.
CAMPING TRIPS
I never had a chance to go camping with my Boy Scout Troop, because I joined in winter and I was out before the summer rolled around. But I’ll never, ever forget the wonderful summer camping trips I’d go on with my folks. We would always go to a place called Twin Lakes or Yosemite and just have the most fun any family could have together!
Even though I was pretty young, I always had my hand into something, trying to help out, whether it was breakfast over an open fire or hiking with my dad. Whatever it was, I had to be a part of it.
HATED TO HUNT
Often on these camping trips my dad would take along his rifle and go hunting for rabbits. I’d always trail along behind him, being extra careful not to ever get in his way. He always tried to teach me about gun safety and safety while hunting. You know the old saying “like father, like son,” which was true in many cases with us, but not in this particular one.
At first, hunting was very exciting to me. I think it was only natural for kids to be excited about guns because of all the “shoot ‘em up” westerns on television. I can remember watching the old Davy Crockett shows on Walt Disney and thinking that hunting was a pretty exciting thing. When I got to be around 10 or 11, my grandfather knew I liked to go hunting with my dad so he bought me a BB gun.
TARGET PRACTICE
Every day after school I’d come home and set up targets on our back fence and practice shooting. I was taught never to point it at any person, and I was always careful with the gun. It was just such a long wait for me for summer to roll around again. But finally, it came and we took off for Yosemite for two weeks of camping and hunting.
Once we got camp set up, I couldn’t wait to go out in the open meadows and look for some “game.” Of course, you aren’t allowed to shoot deer or any big animals in the National Park, but I had a ball looking for spiders and shooting at them. I never minded shooting spiders because they were so ugly and they captured bees and butterflies and I love butterflies.
FREAK THING
It was while I was out shooting spiders one afternoon that a terrible experience happen to me. While you’re hunting, you’re nervous and on edge because you have to see something, turn quick, and shoot fast! I had been target shooting at home for several months, so I had become a pretty good shot. Out of the corner of my eye, I turned, saw a bird and shot fast. It was such a freak thing I hardly realized what it happened, until I saw the little Robin laying in the grass. The little bird’s body jerked, trying to fly away, but couldn’t. It was to hurt. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I aimed the gun at the Robin’s head and shot a shell for the last time.
I can’t tell you what the rest of the day was like. I picked up the dead bird–the bird I had murdered–and made a little grave in the dirt nearby and covered the grave with dirt and stones. After that I ran off into the big trees and just thought about what I had done. It was a horrible feeling I had inside. I was sick for the rest of the week. All I could think of was that I had destroyed something that was living. I’ve always been close to animals, very much like I was close to my invisible friend; and to me shooting that bird was like shooting my own dog.
CHANGE LIFE
That bleak day of that summer long ago is a day that had a great impact on my life. My whole philosophy changed. I still enjoy shooting, because it’s such an intricate sport. But the fun now is in target shooting. I don’t think I could ever kill a living thing again. Even spiders. I just let them go past. If I even think about killing them it takes me back to that sad afternoon at Yosemite. It was a moving experience, but one that taught me one of life’s important lessons.
On a brighter note, since I’m talking about our camping trips, there’s another lesson I learned during those years. It’s not a lesson that’s taught with words, but more through observation. My mom always went with us on camping trips or anywhere. She always took part in the togetherness and love between she and my dad was always a source of joy to me.
NOT ALWAYS HAPPY
I was aware, even then, that not everyone was happy. Sometimes when I visit some of my friends and their parents would quarrel and it was just awful. Everyone has their problems, and my folks were no exception. But they have been married for 31 years now and even when times were bad, they always worked things out together. And they will be together the rest of their lives.
I think that is what I want when I get married. I’m not going to get married for the convenience of getting married. I think when you choose someone to marry, you should realize that it’s someone you are going to spend your whole life with. Your love must be strong enough to get you through the hard times and then you’ll have a love you’ll never lose. The idea of marriage is not a demanding thing to me. It’s the idea that you and the person you love will be together always. To me, that’s just groovy!
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