I have heard it said many times, both to my face and otherwise, that “The so called Weazel isn’t a ‘real’ caver”. It is true that I generally dislike cold, wet, muddy, dark places, have never surveyed an inch, and have an unconquerable terror of heights including exposure to anything over 18 inches below where I am standing. I prefer not to participate in anything resembling an organized trip, much less an official expedition, and I rarely if ever go to grotto meetings. In fact, I’m not even a current member of any grotto, especially the ones here in Florida that resemble a cross between a boy scout troop and a church group. The fact that during the last 55 years (I started when I was 15 or so) I have visited many hundreds of pits and thousands of caves around the world apparently doesn’t count. As in politics, the only thing that counts is whether or not you are a member of ‘MY’ group, otherwise you are an imposter or one of ‘them the others’.
SW Ps: While in Peru for the last two months I sent several trip reports to this list but have no idea if any of them made it through. All I have ever gotten was a notification that “This post awaits moderator approval” or something to that effect. The lack of echoes makes me think I have just been shouting in the dark to no effect. Am I the new David? Have my posts gone through or have they been rejected as coming from someone who isn’t a ‘real’ caver? From: Texascavers <texascavers-boun...@texascavers.com> On Behalf Of Logan Sent: Tuesday, October 9, 2018 2:47 AM To: texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Bill Steele Saw The Truth Yep, I think many of us have had that experience. Mention caving and listen to a long description of their harrowing adventures at Enchanted Rock, Garner State Park, or Gorman Cave back when it was privately owned and open to everyone. Amazing how many "undiscovered" caves there are out there with "miles' of passage that cavers have never seen. Sure, there are some, but not the ones these folks describe. On 10/9/2018 1:11 AM, Carl Kunath wrote: Bill is exactly right. It’s an inconvenient truth that you are allowed to characterize yourself as a caver despite only minimal, sometimes miniscule, participation in that activity. Seen from another viewpoint, those peripheral experiences may have been powerful enough to last a lifetime. I have encountered the same things/memories/claims as Bill. It IS very much an individual frame of reference. ===Carl Kunath carl.kun...@suddenlink.net <mailto:carl.kun...@suddenlink.net> _____ From: Bill Steele <mailto:cwilliamste...@gmail.com> In my 42 years of living in Texas I have run into two people who said their fathers were cavers and when I later met the fathers it turned out they went to Bustamante (Grutas del Palmito) once when in college. It comes down to your point of reference. Bill Steele speleoste...@aol.com <mailto:speleoste...@aol.com> <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon> Virus-free. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link> www.avast.com _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com Texascavers@texascavers.com <mailto:Texascavers@texascavers.com> | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
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