I love camping in the desert . . . especially in the spring and fall. In the springtime, especially, the wildflowers can be a revelation and the stars at night are well beyond anything you can see most other places. Unlike a lot of campgrounds, there seems to be fewer RV's blaring television programming out there. Heck, if you have all your supplies, you can camp ANYWHERE on BLM land . . . no need to find a crowded campground. I also love the ingenuity with which plant and animal life has evolved and adapted to this harsh world. And some of America's most spectacular, beautiful and remote places are along our border with Mexico.
And it is in these wild places that being an American and being a human being can collide with others in that harsh environment. What happens when you meet a "hiker?"
Okay, I called him a "hiker," he didn't call himself that. At least I don't think so, I didn't speak enough Spanish to know for sure.
But this guy was on foot in the desert, at night and needed water. (I know "agua" and gestures and am pretty good at reading expressions on faces.) He didn't have any and we had plenty, so we gave him some and he went on with his hike at night.
Now, with enough moonlight, hiking at night in the desert is a beautiful thing. There have been times where I, camping without a tent (no rain, why bother) and trying to sleep on a moonlit night, gave up (the moon was like a headlamp in my eyes!) and walked around. So, hiking at night isn't totally insane in my book.
And sure, we were down in the desert a few miles from the border. There are plenty of folks here in America legally that don't speak much English. So, I didn't ask this guy for his papers. I mean, I'm no cop or INS agent, I'm just another person who loves the desert . . . and knows that if I am out there and need water myself one day, I'd hope that whoever I meet doesn't care whether I have my "papers" and just understands that a human being who needs water should be given some.
Maybe all this is a metaphor for something larger . . . substitute healthcare for water? Something about a small planet? Basic humanity? I'm not sure. But there is a lot to be learned in the desert, especially if one is willing to put aside ones fears and just let the desert teach.