The Fluffernutter Kid

In the late 60’s I was in the Boy Scouts. Very local troop, made up of most of the guys I already knew from Northwest Bradenton. I wasn’t all that good at it, I may have made it to second class. But I wasn’t in for the levels really, I liked the camping trips!
The trips were usually just a one overnight trip every few weeks. Some of our Dads drove, but you hoped to be in someone else’s car for the trip. Places like Camp Flying Eagle ( which we jokingly called Camp Flopping Buzzard), we went to Ocala, Arcadia, Myakka river and many other “faraway places”.
The routine was almost the same on those Saturday mornings. After a Friday night of packing, Saturdays took us first to Cokers Market on the corner of 59th and Manatee Ave. Mr. Coker knew it was campout weekend when he saw us come into the store early on a Saturday. First, head over and grab a Cuban sandwich( he made the best), peruse the candy aisle, grab a coke and finish with Beef jerky. And we were off.
On the way to wherever we were going we would talk about what snacks we brought and what kind of sandwiches we had and the fun we were about to have.
Well one trip I remember vividly was with a kid named Daniel. Now Daniel was a bit different than the rest of the rambunctious guys in this troop, he was quiet. Daniel kept to himself and was teased on a regular basis for some of his habits.
On this trip, someone asked Daniel what he brought for lunch. He quietly answered “Peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff”. we all stared at him like he was from another planet, “what the hell kind of sandwich is that?” we thought. Well I was quite aware what marshmallow fluff was, my Mom you see use to make some awesome peanut butter fudge with it, but a sandwich? For lunch? So of course Daniel was teased about his “strange sandwich”. I always felt abit sorry for him at times, but peer pressure is a bitch.
Over time as we went on more camp outs, Daniel never caught a break, because he was “different”. A boy scout in the 60’s didn’t wear pajamas on a camping trip, but Daniel did, A toothbrush on a overnight camp out, Hell no, but Daniel did. Daniel was different, it was the 60’s. And that sandwich!
During summer camp, where we stayed a whole week at Camp Flopping Buzzard, Freedom! Our cabin which held 6 kids, all friends and we called ourselves the “Soul Patrol”. Can’t remember what cabin Daniel was in, but I remembered when an older scout ran his pajamas up the flag pole, no peace for Daniel, he was different.
Years later I decided to try this crazy combination, Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, and remembering the flak Daniel took years ago. Damn, this is good I thought as I devoured my first Fluffernutter sandwich! We messed with him without knowing how good it was and shamed him for no reason.
I left Boy scouts as it became uncool and not my thing. Never saw Daniel again, we went to the same high school, but he was different. I found out years later while talking with a guy I was in scouts with that Daniel had at some point came out as being gay. Ok, made sense, I’m good with that. But he continued, he commited suicide. My heart sunk, Daniel “The Fluffernutter Kid” WE did you so wrong, you weren’t different, you were YOU.