Change of Scenery

Duncan had been lost in the woods for three days. This suited him just fine.

Everything was going according to plan. He had food, a sleeping bag, and a tent. He also had a book on wilderness survival, giving him all the advice he needed.

Duncan had no intention of finding his way back. He had even removed chapters from his book that referred to finding one’s way home. Lost in the wilderness meant no traffic, no meetings and most importantly … no Gladys.

Two weeks later, Duncan began to rethink his strategy. He was tired of eating twigs and dirt clods. It turned out that catching food with snares was more difficult than the book led him to believe. He began to think that a little time in traffic could be a good thing. He would call it his contemplative time. As for meetings, he could call those group sharing events.

With a new outlook on life, Duncan began to work on finding his way home. After some time, he eventually managed to climb to the top of the highest nearby mountain with the intent of getting his bearings.

Sure enough, from his perch on the peak, he could see a large town not more than five miles away. That was when his long forgotten cell phone buzzed indicating he had an SMS. He realized that he must be within cell range up there in the open.

Pulling out his phone, he looked down to read, “Where the hell are you, and pick up some milk on your way home, you worthless excuse for a man.” It was from Gladys.

Duncan calmly dropped his cell to the ground, smashed it with his foot, and then headed back into the wilderness. Some perspectives are just too hard to change.

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