Droplets from the Inkwell

Blog Prompt for 28 November 2012

From "Blogging Circle of Friends " :

If you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, and could bring only five items with you, which five items would you bring?

Who plans to get stranded on a deserted island? Did the tourists on the S.S. Minnow sign up for the "marooned tourists" cruise by mistake? This prompt makes absolutely no sense.

Granted, that's fine with me. I'm downright fascinated by nonsense.

Okay, five items.....

1. A magnifying glass. I'm assuming that I can forage, hunt, or fish for food on the island. I'm assuming I can construct a simple shelter. But at some point, I'm going to want to build a fire. Actually, I'm probably going to want to do it multiple times. I can gather firewood, klndling, and tinder, but I need to have a way to start the fire. Matches can only be used once. Lighters eventually run out of fuel. And quite frankly, trying to start a fire from friction or sparking a stone against steel is hard. But focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass? I can manage that. Plus, I can use the magnifying glass to try and signal planes and such. (Not as easy as using a mirror, but hey.)

2. A knife with sharpener. I'm counting this as one item as a lot of knives are sold with a sharpening stone in a pocket of the knife's sheath. Again, I might need to cut something and trying to find or make "something sharp" can be pretty darn hard.

3. A book. I'm not sure which book I'd choose. Maybe Lord of the Rings just because it's long and such a classic. If I can claim The Magister Trilogy by C.S. Friedman as a single item, I might do that. I need something to occupy my mind, after all. You can only run through the jungle and pretend your Tarzan so many times.

4. A journal and pen. Again, I'm going to treat these as a single item. I want a way to keep writing and record my thoughts. Unfortunately, this is one item that will eventually wear out. So if I'm truly stranded for life, that'll be a sad thing.

5. A canteen or other container for water. I'm assuming I can find potable water or find a way to collect/make it. I need something to store it in, though.

I actually had a different idea for #5, but I decided that declaring a man an "item" would be too objectifying.

JarredH

Give me pen and paper and I shall create entire worlds and fill them with adventures.