While living mindfully in the moment, second guessing decisions can enhance or ruin a good thing. Trust and blind faith have strengthened me during some harrowing parts of my journey, while common sense sets me on the right path in the first place. Following one’s own True North can’t be ignored. Some truths glow so bright, they blind you from reality.
Life threatening situations often arise so quickly, there’s no time to react. Like bears attacking your tent on the shore of Skilak Lake in Alaska, or suddenly finding yourself in the belly of a whale off the coast of Massachusetts. In my case, the bear attack would be more in the realm of possibilities, although the whale scenario would definitely be more interesting.
I have a game I play from time to time that’s called, “Never Gonna Die That Way”. Over the years, it’s provided laughs as news stories become more ludicrous with every passing day. I know, without a shadow of a doubt I’m not dying in the following ways. From an outbreak of Giardia on a television show set. From being hit by a scooter in New York City. From being sucked into a stump grinder. From scaling Mt. Everest. From being swept to sea by a rogue wave in Florida. From being impaled by the bill of a swordfish. From being trampled while running with the bulls in Spain. From running into a tree while snow skiiing.
Each day, there’s usually at least one news story about an untimely death. The more bizarre the situation, the better. It’s a comfort to eliminate the cause of one’s demise, little by little.
The diver, sucked into the whale’s mouth, brings many questions to my mind, even though his story is now in doubt by some. Going for his second dive of the day, a man from Massachusetts claims he was sucked up by a whale, held there, and then spit out, living to tell the tale. Although suffering bruises, he had no broken bones and supposedly never lost consciousness.
There are some stories that are so fantastical, logical thinking keeps us from believing. If I had, indeed, spent even one second in the belly of a whale, it would be a story about rich with literary details. Describing textures, sights, and smells would be enough material for a book. Wearing oxygen, the diver could breathe, but do little else. Was he compressed? Being sucked this way and that? Just what did the whale think about the entire situation?
Of course, doctors are questioning the validity of the story, along with logical folks. There are more reasons it couldn’t have happened than reasons it did. But, strange things happen every day.
In the case of the campers mauled by bears in Alaska while tent camping, the situation was different. According to a park ranger, “It was a short, in-your-tent-attack.” Sleeping near very hungry, newly awakened bears, humans become a mere snack. The territory is theirs and theirs alone. Tent-camping imbiciles will lose every single time.
In life, people forget their common sense when venturing into the great unknown. The sheer beauty of nature lures one into an invincible state of mind. The stars and moon cloak everything in the softest black-blue shroud, while the night sounds make a wonderful lullaby, until they involve the huffing and screaming of a bear attack. No. A bear attack while tent camping in Alaska won’t fill the last page of my story. My True North may lead me to Alaska, but tent camping will not be involved.
Of course, the bizarre deaths don’t need to involve huge mammals near stunning lakes or in the depths of the sea. An untimely demise can involve plain old stupidity. Texting and walking don’t go together. Distracted walking leads to all kinds of injuries and deaths. A careful driver these days needs to watch their speedometer while predicting the direction of low-functioning pedestrians and texting motorists to the right or left. It’s a concrete jungle out there.
As everyone, I hope my last breaths are decades away. On my last day, I’ll be outside taking in fresh air while being surrounded by the flowers and trees of Winterpast. Adventures complete, it’ll be a new kind of journey, exciting and unknown. Until then, I’ll keep up with the crazy ways people exit this old world. Remember to follow a trusted guide, but, in the end, check your compass. Your own True North will never steer you wrong.