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+---
+title: Melody's Malady
+---
+
+By Han Ying
+
+This is another tale from the summer of 1973, when I took a course in
+desert survival from BYU (See Chocolate Waterfalls). The day when this
+incident took place was part of a phase of the course called 'Group
+Expedition'. The entire class of college students participated in this
+phase together. The day was typical for this time of the year in
+Southern Utah. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was
+near 100 degrees. Our group had been hiking in these conditions all day
+long. We were exhausted and parched. The sun was beginning to set when
+our leaders found a place they thought would be a good spot for setting
+up camp to spend the night. We were all quite happy to unload our gear
+and rest our tired, aching feet. Then, to our great disappointment, the
+leaders informed us that we had to continue our march. They explained
+that the water at this place was so brackish and salty that it was not
+drinkable. The nearest good drinking water was still many miles away.
+However, we had no choice but to continue our hike until we reached it.
+Otherwise, we risked getting caught in the desert heat with no drinking
+water.
+
+Amid many moans and complaints, we hauled our tired bodies off the
+ground, loaded up our gear and trudged on. Up to this point, I thought I
+had born our hardships well. After all, this desert experience was not
+intended to be a nice little walk in the park. I expected to be
+challenged by the hardships of living in the desert. But now I was
+beginning to lose my will to bear it gracefully. My tired muscles ached
+in places I didn't know I even had. My throat was parched and dry. My
+feet were painfully sore. My discomfort was so great that my mood began
+to get dark and ugly. I began to wonder why I had been so foolish to
+take this course and pay good money to feel this kind of agony.
+
+While I was thus wallowing in my misery, something happened that changed
+everything. One of our leaders asked me and a friend of mine to help a
+girl named Melody. Apparently, Melody had a thyroid condition called
+hypoglycemia. She was so weak that she couldn't continue without some
+help. My friend and I took her gear and added it to our own backpacks.
+We then placed her arms around our necks, with one of us on each side of
+her. In this manner, my friend and I carried most of Melody's weight as
+we continued on down the trail. The sun fell below the horizon and
+darkness slowly engulfed us as we stumbled and struggled on our way.
+Initially, my inner rebellion was almost to the point of boiling over.
+How could they possibly be so uncaring and insensitive to my plight?
+Instead of relieving my personal suffering, our course instructors had
+had the nerve to add to my burden of misery by asking me to help someone
+else. I had no idea that a small miracle was about to happen.
+
+It only took a few moments for me to perceive that Melody's sufferings
+were far greater than mine. The pain and exhaustion were in her voice as
+she apologized for being such a bother to us. She tried valiantly to be
+cheerful and hummed softly to herself as we trudged on. As I witnessed
+her courage, my own heart began to soften. Instead of concentrating on
+my own troubles, I began to think of ways to help the time pass more
+pleasantly for her. I tried to give her encouragement with little
+complements about how well she was holding up. I tried to hum little
+harmonies to her faintly uttered tunes. My reluctant acceptance of this
+assignment turned out to be a great blessing to me. It made the time go
+much more quickly than it had before.
+
+It was well after midnight when we finally arrived at the good watering
+hole. I didn't mind that my place for sleeping was on the rocks of a dry
+creek bed. My former weariness and discomfort were no longer a part of
+my consciousness. The anger and bitterness had been replaced by the warm
+glow of satisfaction that comes from serving others. I pondered upon
+this small miracle as I drifted into a peaceful and gratitude filled
+state of slumber. Melody's malady had healed my troubled soul.