儿子背包里的“计算器”.docVIP

儿子背包里的“计算器”A hike was the perfect order of the day. The boys were excited about the idea. It would be a good workout and it would be good to be together.　　We planned to leave immediately after lunch. I noticed Daniel, who will be ten in November, and Wes, who will be seven in December, scramble for their gear. They had spent the morning pouring over outdoor outfitter catalogs looking at sophisticated equipment that would be sufficient to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail1.　　I thought back over the years to the hours I spent with my official Boy Scout handbook. I was disgusted to remember that I spent more time reading about nature than I spent experiencing it. That’s when I said, “Guys, let’s just use the daypacks2 we have and take a nice hike this afternoon.” They say the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention. The boys heartily agreed.　　Immediately after lunch we made for3 the trailhead. Chuck joined us and led the expedition. The little guys fell in on the trail ahead of me with their full daypacks, slouch hats, and bottles filled with water. They soon found walking sticks. I laughed as I watched Wes lurching4 along the trail ahead of me struggling with all his gear. He shuffled along behind his brothers careful not to drop behind. Not a syllable of complaint escaped his lips.　　We climbed to the crest of a hill up earthen stairs built into the hillside. Finally, I asked Wes if I could carry the pack for a while. He smiled quietly and handed the thing to me.　　The guys hiked quietly trying to “leave no trace5.” The air was sweet with the scent of autumn. Goldenrod nodded yellow along the trial. We crossed a footbridge over a stream that ran among small boulders. At one point, we came to the edge of the wood overlooking acres of corn ripening in an undulating6 field.　　I kept Wes’s pack and finally asked him, “What’s in the pack, Wes?” “A calculator,” he said.　　I thought I misunderstood him. I thought maybe trail mix, some apples, or maybe even some