Yes, I Have A Banana

I was 10,000 feet above sea level on top of a volcano in the middle of Pacific Ocean. The word came down from a friend near the peak that a climber was in trouble. Was it a fall? Broken bones? There wasn’t much I could do except radio for help, and no guarantee I could get through in time.

It turns out the climber was a very old man on a cruise from Manila. The boat docked early that morning and he got the idea that he was going to climb this mountain. He got to the top all right, with inadequate clothing, no water or food. This would have been foolhardy by itself, but he was also a diabetic with a heart condition. His son came up to me on the ridge and asked if I had a banana. Processed food would not provide the right kind of sugar, it had to be some kind of fruit, preferably a banana.

Being the last Boy Scout, I was prepared. I replied in a sentence I’ve always wanted to say, “Yes, I have a banana, I have a banana today.” I reached in my backpack and gave it to him. The surprised look on his face was worth it. Soon the old man was on his way back to a ship full of fruit. Why he didn’t grab a banana before he left is beyond me.

A few weeks later I was driving from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles. When you drive into California there are guards at little toll booths asking if you are bringing any fruit in to the state. They do this to protect fruit crops in California from unwanted pests. I’m curious in these days of heightened security if they found unwanted fruit. Would they use a tazer on any dangerous apples or peaches that tried to cross state lines?

As I approached the booth, it occurred to me that I had yet another banana. Still the Boy Scout, I drove up and surrendered the banana. The guy didn’t want it. Apparently neither California or Nevada grow bananas, so mine was not a threat. The agriculture of two states secure, I headed into the land of fruits and nuts.

Copyright 2007 DJ Cline

Posted by dj in Blumbers, Commentary [1,085 Views]