Please Step Away from the Edge
It’s a warm morning at Dinosaur Tracks Campground in Texas. The previous night was a rough one filled with the oinking of wild hogs and crashing as raccoons broke into the trash cans. Laura woke up with a crippling migraine but there was driving to do, we had to make it to New Mexico by dinnertime. She sleeps in my lap as we set off. The music comes on with the start of the truck and blasting through the van. A face I have only seen a few times and never spoken to turns to me and asks if the music is too loud for Laura. Within milliseconds of me saying yes Sophie calls up to the front and “asks” them to turn it down. She looks back at me, gives a bright smile and says to tell her if we need anything.
Originally from Colorado, Sophie moved to Georgia eventually graduating from Alpharetta High School. She’s studying mass media arts and if you ask me she will eventually host a TV or radio talk show. Sophie can get a laugh out of nearly anyone and has a hug for anyone who needs one (or if they don’t). She has a vast intellect to match her big personality. In between her outbursts of rapping her words are concise and thoughtful. She especially connects to the people of our anthropology stops. She really puts herself in the shoes of the different Native American groups we met and learned about.
Charlotte, Laura, Sophie and I are wandering through the streets of Santa Fe when we come to a Christmas ornament store. I’ve never been to the North Pole but I imagine the middle of New Mexico in the middle of Summer is about as far from the arctic circle as we could get; however, there were no less than three dedicated Christmas ornament stores in Santa Fe. Anyway, when we come up to the store Sophie shares one of many stories she will over the course of the two months. “When I was younger,” she begins, “and I found out Santa wasn’t real I went home, looked my parents straight in the eyes and shouted, ‘you made a fool out of me!’” Her eyes were narrow, eyebrows scrunched, legs spread in a power stance, and her lip curled in anger. There was no doubt in any of our minds that one — this is exactly how the three foot tall curly haired girl had confronted her parents, and two — we weren’t going to be able to stop laughing for the remainder of the day.
On a hike through a canyon in the Grand Escalante National Monument there were a number of us climbing along the cliffs. Sophie was always one of the first to throw her hands on the rock and climb up to perches and ledges above the canyon floor. Her confidence never wavered as she leaped all over the boulders. Earlier that same morning she took a picture at the edge of the Grand Canyon and posted it to Facebook. Her concerned grandmother commented on the picture asking her to “Please step away from the edge,” because it was dangerous. Sophie read this and chuckled.
Sophie has all the qualities of a good friend, caring, protective, funny, smart, the list goes on probably rounded out by cool and awesome. Those final two are words that still echo through my mind when I think of Sophie. They’re words she uses to express her fascination with the world around her. Whether we are at a cliff-side dwelling, on top of a half exploded volcano, or relaxing to a local band on our day off Sophie reminds us that this whole trip is made of cool, awesome, beautiful moments that we should embrace.
Now I have a few words to Sophie so feel free to stop reading now. Sophie first of all we all know that David Grant Noble totally would have adopted you not Quinn. I don’t know if I’ve seen you since the trip because this is due ahead of time but I hope we’ve hung out. Finally just to sum everything up you’re great.
