I survived a deserted island with only five items
A whistle was not one of them.
Dear reader,
As I type this, I realize that spending time in nature has taken the back seat on the bus of my life. Nature likely has already figured out how to rig the emergency exit lever, and is planning to jump out the back door at my next stop light. As many of my previous three essay attempts happiest memories can be traced back to immersing myself in nature, the shame building in my chest, realizing I slowly turned into a concrete jungle hooligan, is the size of a skyscraper. I suppose I could take a moment for self-compassion and reframe this entire tiny violin scenario as an opportunity. Now that I know…I shall do better. Get my arse out there. I could go ON and ON with my laundry list of excuses as to why I have not, but that would be mind-numbingly boring. Even for me to write.
The story I will share with you instead is a story of hope. Not outdoors, but connecting to nature from inside, because…baby steps.
Last week I attended a work retreat. We had assigned seats, and my table was filled with major MVPs. We played games, and unanimously agreed that if ever stranded on a deserted island, a whistle would NOT be in our collection of five essentials. What will the whistle do that our loud voices can’t?? How would it save anyone?!
We brilliantly whittled down a list of thirteen items, and, being the kind-hearted lady that I am- I will share with you what we decided would keep us all alive in the event that you are ever stranded on an island, and have the ability to order five things. Thank me by subscribing. You likely won’t want to miss out on this list. Clearly, with my lived experience being spent INSIDE, you will need my advice on what to do OUTSIDE.
First and foremost, our table of island-surviving-masterminds decided we would need a knife. I may be a couch potato, but I know the importance of chopping things up like fish, tree branches, and wild-zombie-boars- should that be our reality.
Next, we decided that a Fire Starter Kit would be ten times more brilliant than the lowly solo lighter that was an alternative option on our list. The kit came packed with a lighter, lighter fluid, and other things that would be nice to start a fire. We realized the kit would not last us forever, but agreed we would use it in emergency situations, or to learn how to start a fire at all…
This option also felt like a hack because we slyly picked an “item” that sneakily housed a variety of items.
Our third selection was yet another “hack” if you will, because, you guessed it, we picked another kit. The First Aid variety. No list accompanied what the kit held, but we assumed that there would be things like bandages, tweezers, gauze etc that would help us out in ways more than safety, if needed.
Now, the fourth and fifth items were trickier to identify. We had only two slots left. There were TEN other items on the list! Pressure cooker = on HIGH. Critical thinking is called upon here. We can’t be claiming a whistle when LIFE or DEATH is at stake. After debating around duct tape, we decided on a tarp, as it would help us create a sense of shelter, and would not deteriorate if rained upon. In the event you are ever kidnapped, apparently, duct tape across your mouth can easily be removed with saliva… I’ll let you report back on results.
Our final pick took the longest to commit to. With nine other items on the list we were torn between plastic bottles (for collecting liquid like rain water, or fresh water to drink), and precious, delicious, divine…SALT. If you’ve been around a while, you know that I don’t mess around when it comes to this compound element. While I completely understand that salt may not SAVE US out on the island, I was thinking about our longevity. Living with what we need, and perhaps just a tiny sliver of pleasure? To season our fish-delight with a pinch of salt? Can you imagine? If we are cold-turkey turning pescitarian, tell me you would NOT appreciate a dash of the world’s finest Himalayan pink. I dare you.
Alas, I did not win that debate, and instead we agreed that as representatives of Human Resources and creators of basically every “How-To Guide” around, a Survival Guide Handbook would be essential to …our collective survival. This was not difficult for me to accept, as I secretly wanted to somehow also have the book. Can you blame me for wanting more than FIVE things on a deserted island?! SIX REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IDEAL. Certainly, I wanted the book. Are you kidding me? “Here’s an island and you now live on it, best wishes.” Yeah, I’d be wild-boar breakfast in less than 24 hours. Of course, I need a survival guide.
After locking down our five things, we joked that we would all be sitting on the island, proud we brought our guidebook to…well, guide us, and have the first page read:
HOW TO SURVIVE ON A DESERTED ISLAND:
Step One: Get a Whistle.
After our Island Survival game, we wrapped the day with an activity that brings us back to nature. Not the kind that’s associated with the uncharted territory inhabited by wild boars, but the simpler kind. The kind that starts in your hands.
Our leader passed around the teensiet-tinyist little clay pots you ever did see, along with paints and brushes. Each pot held seeds for a different kind of flower. Our table scored with an incredible variety. Each of us had something different: I was gifted the sunflower, next to me a cactus, across from me, Poppy, and diagonally, Forget-Me-Not. I mentioned that the California Poppy is my favorite flower, and as luck would have it, sunflowers were hers!! I thought for a moment she was simply being the excellent leader that she is by gifting me the Poppy (of my dreams), but she proved her love of the sunflower by showing me it nestled perfectly into her sleeve of tattoos. It felt synchronistic. <3
We painted our clay pots, and were instructed to re-home our plants in a couple of weeks when they start to bloom. I have studiously been looking at my little dirt clump ever since. We’re not so different, me, and the clump. We both are vulnerable. We both need watering, sunlight, and space to grow.
Just as I will pour into my soon-to-be poppy, the next few weeks will be a new opportunity to pour back into me, too. I’ve heard that a behavior practiced for fourteen days in a row becomes a habit. And, to start small, as drastic changes in behavior are less likely to stick. May this essay be the catalyst for my new habit to get outside and ground myself in nature every day. Not a triathlon. Not a pilgrimage. A blossoming…not unlike my poppy.
If ever we find ourselves trapped on an island, I’ll share my salt,
xX kaylen alexandra xX
Discussion Question: Would you have brought a whistle? Why?
Thanks so much for reading my unofficial “nature” essay! The prompt came from the same book I’ve been reading for the past 6 weeks: Crafting the Creative Nonfiction Essay by Dinty W. Moore. I cannot claim to be a nature writer, but I would love to take this opportunity to share my SOUL sister’s work with you:
author of . Her chapters about wild animal encounters give my life meaning, purpose, connection, and hope. I sincerely urge you to explore her publication from wherever you are reading this right now.Till next time!
I can see a whistle being useful to signal help, but a mirror might work just has well. I have a metal (unbreakable) mirror with a hole in it, which looks like it’s for a lanyard but it’s actually for looking through it. The idea is that if a helicopter is searching for you, you point and reflect sunlight at them. The hole is so you can see if it’s hitting them. Maybe you could use the mirror to start a fire too?
Kqylen, your essay was truly enjoyable to read, yet if you are on an Island I'd assume that island in within the ocean, hence there you can always easily make salt yourself by simply letting the salt water from the ocean evaporate. And I do travel everywhere with: salt, a pepper mill, a Swiss Army Knife with 72 functions, a bit of cord, and a super thin emergency blanket (with the gold foil). The tarp was a smart idea, as no woven leafy shelter is as solid as a tarp, and it could even be used to transport someone.