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GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
Mike Hankey10-Jan-14 8:42
mveMike Hankey10-Jan-14 8:42 
GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
SoMad10-Jan-14 8:46
professionalSoMad10-Jan-14 8:46 
GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
SoMad10-Jan-14 8:44
professionalSoMad10-Jan-14 8:44 
GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
Mike Hankey10-Jan-14 9:08
mveMike Hankey10-Jan-14 9:08 
GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
SoMad10-Jan-14 9:12
professionalSoMad10-Jan-14 9:12 
JokeRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
ZurdoDev10-Jan-14 8:56
professionalZurdoDev10-Jan-14 8:56 
GeneralRe: Follow up on If you had 5 years to live Pin
Mike Hankey10-Jan-14 9:09
mveMike Hankey10-Jan-14 9:09 
GeneralHow to deal with that Kurmudgen Pin
MacSpudster10-Jan-14 11:37
professionalMacSpudster10-Jan-14 11:37 
OK, so every backpack trip seems to have a Kurmudgen ~ One who constantly complains, whines, and is never satisfied about everything, anything, and, often, most everyone, when, truly, there is nothing to complain about.

We, 8 of us, had one such person on a backpack trip once, a 5.6 mile, 2300 vert feet, 6.5+ hour hike in the Sierra Mountains in California.

For the 2 months prior to the trip, every time we would meet up and go over logistics, Tom (fictional names to protect the guilty...) just complained about this, or that, or even about another in the group in a side-comment sort-of-way.

So, I called a special "logistics" meeting. 6 others arrived.
- Where's Tom? others asked.
- He couldn't make it.
- Why not?
- I didn't invite him, because this meeting is *about* him.

- Look, Tom has been complaining these last 6 weeks on every damned thing and nearly every person about the trip. At our next (and last) Logistics Mtg, if he complains more than 3 times about *anything*, trip-related or not, he's asked for what we'll be doing to him.

- Thing is, since he's complaining so much about *nothing*, we're gonna give him something *REAL* to complain about.

- Everyone will go after the meeting to REI and buy a 1 lb deep-sea fishing weight / ball. As we traverse into the climb and rest, you give me the weight, John will "distract" Tom away from his pack, and I'll add the weight to his pack.

Everyone agreed after 30+ minutes of discussing details and the "moral" justification of doing this to Tom. Our code phrase "No Weight," meaning that we would not hike all the way with the weight (no weight), yet we'd note to Tom it was about no "waiting" for anyone at the trailhead; we'll march on without 'em (several car-pools).

Sure enough, Tom complained about 7 different things and 1 person, again side-comment-wise. It was about me.

- OK, everyone, see you at the trailhead. And, remember, "No Weight!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, Tom thinking it was one thing it wasn't. Since he complained about me for no good reason, I bought three 1 lb weights.

Everything worked as planned. On the trip, we stopped 7 times on the hike to "enjoy" scenery and/or rest. Sure enough, Tom complained about this, that and the other, again, all for no reason.
When we stopped, John distracted Tom and I put a new weight deep into his pack, with my 3 lbs of weights the first go in.

About the 4th stop, one "additional" thing Tom stared complaining on was how he seemed to be "not as prepared physically" for the weight of his pack.

We arrived at camp. Tom was the most "wore-out" of all of us. Truth be noted, he was the the most heavy-set of us all. Everyone found a piece of ground to set up camp.

About 35 minutes into setup, Tom yells "WHAT THE HELL?!? Where'd the Hell did these come from?!"

I calmly walked over, several others joining me, and stated:
- None of us know where they came from, Tom.
- But, what we do know is that for the last 8 weeks of planning, you've been complaining about everything, anything, and most everyone, including about me at the last meeting we had.
(The others were nodding in agreement.)
- Well, now you have something *real* to complain about, that being the weight of your back being 'heavier' than you thought.
- If you complain about *anything* or *anyone* these next 3 days, we have far more in store for you (but, really, we didn't). Period. We love ya, Tom, but not the complaining you do. We're here to enjoy the mountains, and enjoy them *with* you and each other.

- Oh, and, by the way, just like we kept reasserting at the meetings, U.S. Forest rules state
"You pack it in, You pack it out!"

===========

Tom was reservedly humble the rest of the trip. Even going out of his way to be helpful and appreciative to others in the group and hikers passing through.

And, yes, we were well-prepared to "assist" Tom, monitoring him the entire hike in, and ready to relieve him of some weight or other help.

On the hike out, Tom concurred he *deserved* to carry the 9 lbs of weight out.
His comment: Well, y'all had the balls to deal with me when I complained. I need to man-up and have the balls to hike out!

===========

What does this hafta do with Five Years to live?
Simple. We helped someone to see and appreciate life and, to this day, some 20 years later, Tom still says "Thank You" [in that quirky ways we friends share such between one-another] for helping him appreciate the life we all have and enjoy together.


modified 14-Jan-14 12:26pm.

GeneralRe: How to deal with that Kurmudgen Pin
Mike Hankey10-Jan-14 13:23
mveMike Hankey10-Jan-14 13:23 
GeneralMind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:12
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:12 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
GuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 8:25
professionalGuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 8:25 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:27
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:27 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
GuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 8:38
professionalGuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 8:38 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
Pualee10-Jan-14 8:35
Pualee10-Jan-14 8:35 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:52
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:52 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
GuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 23:17
professionalGuyThiebaut10-Jan-14 23:17 
JokeRe: Mind...Blown Pin
Richard Deeming10-Jan-14 8:35
mveRichard Deeming10-Jan-14 8:35 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:53
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 8:53 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
Ravi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:06
professionalRavi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:06 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 10:08
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 10:08 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
Ravi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:16
professionalRavi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:16 
AnswerRe: Mind...Blown Pin
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 10:21
IndifferentDisdain10-Jan-14 10:21 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
Ravi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:23
professionalRavi Bhavnani10-Jan-14 10:23 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
_Maxxx_10-Jan-14 14:46
professional_Maxxx_10-Jan-14 14:46 
GeneralRe: Mind...Blown Pin
_Damian S_12-Jan-14 12:10
professional_Damian S_12-Jan-14 12:10 

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