| Survival skills should be polish to such an degree | | | | in charge of the gates and they came and |
| that at a moments notice you would know | | | | unlocked them so we could get out. My thoughts |
| instantaneously what to do. Time in urgent | | | | are what if I had hesitated slightly. Perhaps the |
| situations is critical and you do not have a | | | | gate keeper could not have gotten there on time. |
| moment to spare. It doesn't matter if the | | | | Another "What if..." happened to us in Mississippi. A |
| emergency involves an automobile accident or | | | | hurricane was heading in our direction and we |
| possibly a tornado sighted in your immediate area. | | | | needed to urgently get by a small bridge before it |
| Time is of the utmost significance. Split second | | | | started flooding otherwise we would be stuck in |
| decisions can mean the difference between life or | | | | the hurricane area. Had I hesitated in the least we |
| death. | | | | would never have made it beyond that point. As |
| In cases like this a novel approach would be to | | | | you can see hesitations can be very critical. It is |
| play a game of what if. You should start by | | | | up to you to brush up on any skills and knowledge |
| asking yourself various what if questions. What if | | | | that you may have or even to learn those new |
| you were caught in the middle of several | | | | tasks that may benefit you and that you need to |
| tornados? Surprisingly, this actually happened to | | | | learn in order to survive and to make quick |
| my family and I when we were in the state of | | | | decisions. |
| New Mexico. There were tornados on each side | | | | As an example, perhaps you should learn how to |
| of us and all we could do is keep heading straight | | | | tell the advancing weather by the types of clouds |
| from them. Needless to say we made it out of | | | | that appear in the sky overhead. This was |
| the situation but suppose I had hesitated? In that | | | | something we had to learn as Forward Air |
| case things could have worked out differently. | | | | Controllers in The Air Force. The list could go on |
| Another incident occurred at a government | | | | and on but I think you get the basic idea at this |
| sponsored campground in Texas. During the late | | | | time. |
| evening hours the authorities would lock the | | | | One time someone asked me why I would want |
| surrounding gate to the compound area as a | | | | to learn all those weird ways of doing things. My |
| safety precaution. This practice was meant more | | | | reply was simply to live and survive. I have never |
| to keep unauthorized people out as opposed to | | | | regretted any survival skills that I have picked up |
| keeping you in. The problem on this particular night | | | | along the way. I am certain that with the attitude |
| was that the local weather report indicated that | | | | of the world leaders today we will see a time in |
| we were about to experience several dangerous | | | | the near future when I just may get the |
| storms approaching us with associated tornados | | | | opportunity to use them. |
| being reported. I managed to contact the person | | | | |