Gotta Get Through This

Gotta Get Through This
We all been through a trial in our life whether something small or major that we have had to tackle on our own. These are the times that we want to prove ourselves to our parents and their generation that we are strong and worthy of being considered a hero. We each can recall that moment we took charge and showed that we are worthy of respect.

I was driving down a long stretch of highway on the way back from Anderson. There was plenty of fields full of cows and horses. I smiled to myself thinking of how many times my mother and I had driven down this road. I had always loved going through all these back ways, although the sun setting made the road look a bit ominous and dark. But I was okay; I was in my nice, toasty car and I had nothing to worry about. Nothing could ruin this serene January evening. My eyes had to be playing tricks on me but the car was starting to swerve ever so slightly. I blinked my eyes, thinking that maybe I was getting tired. Then I paused, I was not quite that sleepy yet and I thought of what it might be as I slowed down. It had to be a flat tire and this was confirmed by the fact the car was starting to be a bit more difficult to control. I pulled over onto the side of the road and shook my head. I had really jinxed myself this time.

I pressed the button on my steering wheel column and my flashers came on. I reached over into the seat and put my thick jacket on. I took a deep breath and stepped out into the cold, early evening air, the wind nipping at my bare neck. I walked around in front of the vehicle to the side off of the road and saw that the back right tire had gone flat. I stuck my hand in my pocket and I swallowed nervously. I had left my phone at home and I did not have any means of communication. To make matter more difficult, I was without a spare tire since my parents had put mine on my brother’s SUV last week. I thought maybe I could flag someone down but that was too risky: me alone and defenseless would not be good. But there was only woods where I had broken down, no houses or anybody going by.

I popped my wrists by pressing down on my knuckles and turning them slightly, and I rubbed my face. These actions would always seem to occur almost involuntary if I was ever stressed out. Survival IQ, the website that I drew most of my survival knowledge from, offered these words of wisdom, “Stress provides us with challenges; it gives us chances to learn about our values and strengths. Stress can show our ability to handle pressure without breaking; it tests our adaptability and flexibility; it can stimulate us to do our best” (“Stress”). Think about the positives, I thought in my head. I’ll be a better person after all this. I knew that my parents would miss me if I was gone too long and they would travel along this same part of the route. They were bound to see the car. However, recalling what had happened to Michael Jordan’s father, I was not about to wait in the car for them. My only choice: to risk a night in the woods.

I got back in the car on the passenger side, and reached behind the seat, grabbing my “survival bag.” Inside I had a poncho, rope, bottled water, peanut butter crackers, a small tea candle, flashlight, first-aid kit and other things that may come in handy if I was ever stranded. The small first aid kit had a pack of band-aids, gouges, Neosporin, aspirin, and medical tape. Chuckling to myself I picked up a small takeout box that was also in the backseat. I had eaten at the New China restaurant earlier that day and had ordered an extra plate to take home. I had never thought that something as simple as finding that food would make me so happy. Now I would not have to forage for food; one less thing to worry about.

A normal person would hate trekking it in the woods but I had grown up in the woods behind my house. I loved being outdoors and the knowledge I had picked up from my family and some books was certain to help me in this situation. I slid over the console and back into the driver’s seat, moving the car just a little bit more off the highway so it would not get hit. I turned off the engine and took the keys from the ignition, putting them in my jeans pocket. I turned off the caution lights so not to drain my battery or draw attention to myself if someone devious should go down the road. I put my bag on to my back, got out, and opened the rear hatch. I leaned over and took out the old picnic blanket and tarp. Being as cold as it was with the sun still a little out, I knew the temperature was going to plummet later that night. I pulled them close to me and shut the hatch, making sure to lock my doors. I looked into the shadowy woods, shifting the bag on my shoulder. Well, better make the best of this.

I walked a few hundred feet into the woods. There were very few small plants growing around the huge pine trees that towered around me. The sun was beginning to hang low on the horizon, and I had just enough time to be a secure and discrete shelter. I stopped at two trees that were around six feet apart and placed my bag down next to one, placing my food on top. I unfolded the dark green tarp and spread it out between the two trees to make sure it would be long enough to make a shelter out of. I was planning on building a “poncho tent” just out of the tarp and rope I had. I was going to use the poncho as something to lay on once I had built this low profile shelter. I took the rope from my bag and unwound it, hoping it was going to be long enough to stretch between the two trees. I tied one end around one tree about knee high and ran the other end underneath the tarp, securing it to the other tree. Surprisingly, there was a little rope left hanging. I was going to leave the extra length of the rope on the tree but I noticed that the middle of the tent-like shelter was sagging. I took my Swiss army knife from my pocket and sawed through the thick rope. I picked it up and went to the center of the newly formed tent. I cut two small slits in the tarp and loop the end around the rope on the inside of the tarp and tree branch, tightening the knot until the roof was taut. I picked up some branches that had fallen off the trees around my shelter and placed them across the ends of the tarp so the flaps would not fly up or the whole tarp blow away (“Shelters”).

I was proud of the shelter I had made and it did not even take me five minutes. I reached in my bag and pulled out my poncho, spreading it across the floor of my shelter. I picked up my bag and food and crawled under the tent. It would keep the wind from blowing against me too badly. If it was going to rain, this would do just perfect to keep me dry. While I was thinking about it, I left my shelter and peered up through the trees the sky was a good bit darker not and it appeared that clouds were rolling in. I knew it would rain later in the night but right now I was cold and hungry. I stuck my hand in the bad and pulled out my lighter. I did not smoke but it was good to carry around with ticks out during the summer.

I made sure the area for the fire was well enough away from my shelter and cleared the area of leaves and anything else that may catch on fire without me willing it too. I gather together enough smaller branches to make a Lean-to and still have left over to feed the fire as it burns. I stuck the longest stick in the ground at a slight angle, then I leaned a lot of the other sticks against the center stick. I pulled some of the needles of the pine trees and laid them in the bottom of “mini tent” I had created. I added some smaller sticks and dried out leaves to the center. I lit a leaf and placed it on top of the kindling and blew on it a little to get the small flame to spread within the structure (“Fire”). It took to fire fairly well although a bit slow. Luckily the wind had died down so I did not have to worry about my fire being blown out, at least not immediately. I sat close to my fire, pulled the blanket close around me, and began to eat my Chinese take out. This was not half bad. I would hate to go home.

My fire had long gone out and I laid curled up in my shelter as the rain pitter-pattered on the top of it. I stretched and looked at my watch, pressing the glow button so I could see the screen. It was eight twenty-five in the morning and I was ready to go home now that the weather had turned so dreary. Then, almost on cue, I heard someone calling my name. I could have jumped through the tent but I resisted and instead picked up all my things, leaving the soggy tarp behind. I walked up through the woods, becoming soaked with the cold rain. I forgot about the rain as I saw my parents standing at the edge of the woods. I ran to them and threw my arms around them. I was getting to go home.

They were expecting the worse but I proved them wrong. After going through that night calmly and using my head to get through everything, I felt it only fair that I was treat more like an adult. I considered myself an adult after getting through things smoothly. We all have the ability to stop and think about a situation without wishing it had never happened and curling up in a ball, giving up before it begins.