Everyday Canvas

Lost in the Woods with Jane Austen

Prompt: "A person who can write a long letter with ease, cannot write ill." Jane Austen Do you agree?

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Truth is, I would rather receive a short note written in sincerity than a long letter full of deceit that keeps beating around the bush. On the other hand, a long letter written in sincerity would be a delightful gift to receive and keep as a memento.

Still, to say that I agree or disagree with the quote would be wrong, for I am not sure if that quote has a profound meaning. In Pride and Prejudice, there are many references to and sections about letter writing to show the relationships between the characters. Letter writing was the means of communication in those days, and it might as well suggest a lot of emotion, which in my time, I might fail to understand and appreciate.

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Prompt: You are lost in the woods and it is getting dark. What happens next?

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What happens next depends on if I have a survival kit or a bag with me or not. If I have one, I would probably have a flashlight in it with extra batteries so my rescuers can find me.

Whether I’d have a flashlight or not, the first step for my survival would be to take stock of my situation. Instead of panicking, I would start to ask me questions such as:

Where am I, or rather, where do I think I am?
What is my condition, as to health, emotional strength, clothing, etc?
What are the conditions like, such as weather and wild animals?
What do I have with me that can be useful?
What’s available in my present environment?
Will people know I am lost?
Would trying to find my way out help or should I stay where I am? For if wander about I may miss the rescuers? Besides isn’t it a good idea to conserve my energy until I am rescued?

Once I take stock of my situation, I must make a shelter for myself with what’s available in my immediate environment, such as under the sloping branches of a pine or a willow tree. Then I should devise things to help protect me like stones and thick branches that I can wield easily.

Next to my safety, water could be my biggest problem. If I know there will be no rescuers in the immediate future, I should look for areas where there is a thick vegetation growth, as that would indicate that there is water nearby. I should also try to use my ears and eyes well to help find water.

What really happens next, I might tell in a fictional story when I have the time.