This was on a return trip from Philmont. To set the scene, the boys have been out in the back woods for 13 days with very little civilian life to see, especially girls.
The were two or three spots to hang out on the train, basically the coach car, the observation car, and then the lounge, where you could play cards and stuff at booth-style tables. Quite often the Scouts would go down to the two latter locations, just cause the social scene there was much better there, than in the coach car, which is basically, seats like on a bus. They would bring games of Monopoly, chess, checkers, and cards and spend hours down there playing those games. Other passengers were there and some time joined in the games as well. Well during this one trip, there was this young lady that was on the trip and seemed to enjoy hanging out in that area too. Matter of fact, many stories came back to the coach car (where the adults hung out mostly) about this “HOT” girl. She wore a leather jacket, had a chain wallet, and a few odd piercings for the era. She looked like the typical bad girl that most of the parents would not appreciate one of our Scouts bringing home. Something that may have been one of the many attractions some of the guys saw in her. She was by no means a bad-looking girl, and as the trip progressed, the more they would share stories about her, and get the others to “check her out”. Needless to say, she was becoming the talk of the train ride, for mostly her looks… The Scouts had been away from anything that resembled estrogen for two weeks and their hormones were getting the best of their minds, not to mention, that at the age of these boys, it would not take much to get them excited. They also liked to dream she was a little better than the previous person said she was, after all, who would say anything different, or they would be ridiculed for their lack of interest in a girl. What, you going to tell your buddy she is NOT hot, not a chance, they all just fed off each other, so you can imagine where the talk had reached in what now was a good twelve to eighteen hours of pent-up conversation. They were all looking for this girl any chance they could, just to embellish the story. Not sure any of them ever got enough courage to actually talk to this girl, but they sure talked about her. Needless to say, everyone knew about her and probably talked about her.
Someone must have talked to her, cause they knew what stop she was getting off at, so as that stop came up, a couple of guys kept an eye out for her to be getting off the train. Once they spotted her, they were sure to let the entire coach car which was entirely Boy Scouts, know that she was right outside their window. As she left the train many were disappointed to see her leave, cause their so-called dream girl was no longer be riding with them. They all had to see her leave, so those on the opposite side of the train were peering out the windows on the station side of the train, many standing in the isles and some with their face plastered drooling on the window, looking like a puppy waiting for a good juicy steak bone. Not sure if she could really see the Scouts on the inside, but Jerry and I sat in the back row of the train and were laughing hysterically at them. I suppose we could have told them to be more gentleman-like, but what were they hurting… nothing, so we let them gaze out the window and mentally say goodbye to this girl. The train seemed to take an extra long time to pull away from the station, and I think the guys were also waiting to see if she had a boyfriend picking her up at the station. They were pleasantly surprised to see a girl about her age there to pick her up, seemed to make it more likely she was available, not that they would ever have made contact with them, but it was a thought they all were probably thinking.
As she approached this other young lady, they also thought she was rather cute too and they watched as they both embraced each other. The girl picking her up even gave her a rose, and comments were made that was a nice gesture for her sister to do, and they continued to watch her ever move… You really did have to be looking out the window to know what was going on, cause they were all making comments, filling in the rest as if they were not gazing out the window, but EVERYONE in that car was. Then the two girls headed to their small car and got in. They chatted a while, then the two of them kissed, and when I say kiss, I mean kiss. Not a little peck on the cheek type kiss, but a lock your lips all out 30-second kiss. It was like a light switch had been turned off in the train. All the hopes, and whatever dreams were dashed. They all made some type of objectionable moan, grown or shriek in disapproval of the definite over-affection of these two young ladies. Those in the aisle, jumped back in their seats, and others ran to the other side so they did not have to see any of it, they wanted to hold on to the dreams they had, not the nightmare they just saw. They definitely had so many dreams dashed right before their eyes. Jerry and I sat in the back of the train and laughed SOOOO hard at them, we almost wet our pants. It was so funny, they were so excited about this girl, and it all ended in a flash, or should we say a kiss. I don’t think anyone on that train will forget that moment, and seeing we went for a high adventure trip of climbing in the mountains, living in the backcountry and then any programs that a place like Philmont has to offer, the “extra” adventure of the train will probably be remembered much longer than many of those on the trail.
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