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I have heard that many MAPS kids have thought about moving to the wild wooded areas to live the WILD life... doing what they have learned in all the nature camps and MAPS Meets they have been attended.
As you know, your parents are funny about this kind of thing (the running away part) so I thought I'd send you a copy of a letter I sent a few years back to a couple of MAPS kids who want to do just that.
The names have been changed, but you can put yours in the Dear so-and-so block. But, I am now sharing my secret with you all.
Dear John and Jane Doe,
So you want to runaway to the wild? Live in nature... free?
It's not as easy as that. Believe me, I know!
How did I know you want to live in the woods? Your Mom told me.
She asked me to share my secret with you. If you promise not to tell the whole story to anyone I will share some of it with you. Heck, I'll tell you cause I know I can trust you both to keep it to yourself.
My secret? When I was seven I ran away from home. That's right. But, there was trouble that night. It wasn't cold. No, I was well dressed and well prepared. I was actually warm. I wasn't afraid of the dark. I wasn't lost. I wasn't anything, but hungry! So very hungry. But, I didn't have ALL the skills to keep myself with shelter, water or food.
Through the ordeal, I found out that hunger is a great motivator to learn all the skills. First, is to learn edible plants. Not just a few, mind you, but as many as you can. Learning isn't just knowing what they look like and their names, but also what times of year they are edible and how to prepare them to make them good to eat. I'm still learning this forty years later and still have more to learn. Second, is to learn how to trap animals. This is not as easy as it seems because you have to take a life and life is precious. To trap is to know each animal you intend to eat personally, intimately, like you know yourself. That takes many years to learn. I have not scratched the surface of this skill yet.
Most importantly, you have to learned Respect... this is the third thing you must learn. Respect for life... be it a plant or animal. Mother Nature is neither kind nor mean... she just is. Once you understand how to give her Respect and have learned everything you can to survive and then you can run. Run anywhere you want. But , learn you must.
My runaway lasted all but eight hours before my growling stomach took me home. That's when I started learning everything I could to keep me safe in the woods. Even my Mom helped me learn some of the skills, cause that is what Mom's do... take care of us.
By the way... Although I'm 47 years old this year, I am still a kid inside and I am still learning. One day I will be ready to run too.
Learn all you can. Help each other learn the skills throughout your whole life. So much to learn, so little time
--
Hue
MAPS Coordinator
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