Assignment: Someone who taught you something

From Ghost Ranch, Abique New Mexico
"Out here in the outdoors, close to Philemont Scout Reservation I remember my Boy Scout troop leader: Mr. Raz short for a Polish name I could not spell. Mr. Raz was a naturalist at heart, who taught me to treat the outdoors as a place to respect. Mr. Raz worked in an office, I can't imagine him there, because he was so at home backpacking, or camping with us. Now knowing what I know about kids of that age I was, I have added respect for him. Mr. Raz never lost his cool, even when on our trip to New Mexico from Massachusetts, he had to stay in camp for a few days because his blood pressure had shot up due to the altitude. He rejoined us in a few days, happy and glad to see us. I would of been furious, after planning and training for a year, raising money for the trip, and then not to be able to go withy us. Mr Raz did not kill bugs or litter, he taught us to leave a place better thatn we found it, always put out your campfire and stay on the trail. He also taught me how to lead. It was on a particular camping jamboree that each troop was to send several 'volunteers' to help with various chores around the grounds. I got stuck with toliet duty. I couldn't figure out what I was chosen, wasn't I a good scout? Why would Mr Raz punish me? And if there was anything a teenage boy dreaded more but to have to clean toliets that other teenage boys had misused, I could not imagine it. Begrugingly I complied resenting every moment, hating the smell of bleach and ther various bathroom smells to upsetting to list. I stormed back to camp, and glared at Mr. Raz. Later as I complained about how I had been punished, ether by someone's counsel or my own self realization, the details are now too foggy to remember, I came to learn that to serve others was a priviledge and I was participating in making the jamboree experience more pleasent for others. That insight led me to volunteer for the next several years for the leadership corp, a select group of scouts who undertook the traffic control, cleaning, and security for this event. However, I did not get there on my own, Mr Raz had to reccomend me as someone who had the makings of a leader." (sorry about the spelling, my spell check is not working)