I was a boy scout and I loved it. Camping with friends and their dad's, sports, swimming in rivers, and lakes..I loved all that. I would continued with it and became an eagle scout but my family and I were moving to a new state after high school. I remember my last camping trip like it was yesterday. I had an experience that solidified my desire to worship the alter of manhood for the rest of my life.
There were 5 boys and 3 dads. One of them was Joseph, our den leader, and my best friend Ernie's dad. He was our den leader since I was 11 years old. I was now 18, so I spent a lot of time at their house. They were very Italian. Big Sunday dinners with lots of extended family members around. All Ernie's uncles and older cousins were all hypermasculine, olive skinned, hairy, muscular men. These dinners were a feast for the eyes and the appetite.
On this camping trip, Joseph, Ernie and I would share one three man tent, just like we did for the better part of the past decade. After setting up camp, the days were filled with collecting firewood, playing soccer, swimming, and playing more soccer. It was warm and it was nice to cool off in the lake. The sun went down and we lit a fire and cooked hot dogs for dinner.
As the night forged on we all sat around the fire and Joseph broke out his cooler of beers. He and the other dads each drank a few, us boys had soda, juice, and water. Alcohol was strictly forbidden on Boy Scout trips but this was our last outing as a group and no one would care. Eventually Joseph announced he was crashing and retreated to our tent. Other dads followed shortly after. Ernie and I and the other boys raided the cooler. I think the dad's knew we would do that and didn't care. After another hour or so, sleep sounds emanated from all the tents, we put the fire out and said goodnight. Ernie and I took off our shirts and crashed in the tent, on either side of Joseph.
It was warm that night and I couldn't sleep. Both Ernie and Joseph were out for the count. I layed there on my side looking past Joseph out the side window flap at the night sky. It was a full moon so everything, even the inside of our tent, was illuminated in soft moonlight. After some time, Joseph stirred. I laid still. He kicked his way out of his sleeping bag, seeking some cool night air on his body. To my surprise he was wearing only his jockstrap. I immediately felt a stir in my loins. I laid there quietly staring at the masculine bulge before me.