Last Night in Easton

15 years ago last night, I slept out in a field next to US-22 in Palmer Township. It might be charitable to say "slept," as we barely did that, but we were there "protecting" our pile of wood that we would light on fire, 15 years ago today. The Bonfire sleepout, a staple of being a senior at Easton Area High School is a right of passage that any resident of Easton, Palmer Township, or Forks Township looks forward to, and plans for. Mine was no exception to that rule.

If I told the actual story of my night, I'm not sure most would believe it. I was a "wood collecting captain" within my class, not that I took that job any more seriously than I took any other role at that time, and I did manage to collect a bunch of wood with my friend Erika before we even went there that night. I managed to completely act a fool at the sleepout itself, and still narrowly avoid major trouble, which of course I'm grateful for now. I guess my decision to carry around a large branch on fire and scream and yell was a bit frowned upon that night.

The tradition of the sleepout is something that bonds together people across generations, and creates memories among your friends forever. Is the whole thing a little ridiculous? Sure, it's a pile of wood. The memories of Thanksgiving week during one's senior year at Easton though are something that you just never lose, and that you can never make up for if you miss. When I saw the kids' small fires going as I drove by last night, I had to pull across the highway to take a picture of the whole spectacle, if only to satisfy my own sense of nostalgia. I guess you really can't take the town out of you, even when you do age out.