Extremely Happy

Noel Laflin

2-17-25

 

I told David that I really like this representation of a younger, cockier man who looked a little sunburned here, as well as unshaven, under washed, probably a little smelly, and no doubt high at the time - but extremely happy.

 

It was taken by a fellow rafter (she was from either Texas or England - some details have been lost to memory, but I remember she was funny) somewhere along the Zambezi River in Africa nearly thirty years ago.

 

We were either in Zimbabwe or Zambia - we alternated sleeping in each country every night, depending on which shoreline held the best promise. We did this for ten days. The only border patrolling was done by large families of snarling baboons who'd like to steal your backpack if given the chance. Some blew themselves up in old forgotten minefields left over from the Rhodesian War decades before. I guess those guys inadvertently warned us where not to wander off to if one were prone to sleepwalking.

 

We rafted some really scary rapids by day, slept out under strange stars and far off unfamiliar galaxies at night, tried to avoid crocodiles and hippos as best we could {eighteen-foot-long crocodiles could really make your heart pound}, portaged some treacherous waterfalls, but in general, had a very good time.

 

And no one died - so there was that, too.

 

I had a bottle of Southern Comfort with me, which came in handy when toasting the Southern Cross as it rose early in enchanted African skies each evening.

 

And I wore a St. Christopher medal around my neck, just for a little added protection.

 

I'm not Catholic - but I figured, what the hell.