In order to escape from quicksand, one should “take the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly,” according to the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook.
I like that bit of adv ice, take the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly. As a matter of fact, I can think of so many aspects of my life that could be solved by taking the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly. When in the presence of people who annoy me, I do have the choice of taking the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly with my lips pursed together, or struggling – pushing and shoving with my mouth engaged. Much like the trap of quicksand, we can improve the outcome of many of our messes by moving slowly to the best possible end.
When teaching high school English, I often refer to the Worst Case Scenario Handbook as a discussion starter. Many of the outrageous and quite fun instructions, such as escaping the jaws of a crocodile can be used in a metaphorical way in the general walk of life. Resilience and adaptability to adversity comes easier for some and not for others – children learn coping strategies at young ages, and I believe our modeling can bring out inner strength in children, so they can find the firmer ground.
I had a conversation today with an education mentor of mine. We talked about what brings out resilience in children, and how they can pull from their inner resources to cope with adversity. A couple things came up from our conversation that are so obvious, solutions we all know, yet we often overlook on a day-to-day basis. First, all children need an adult – at least one person beyond parents – whom they feel cares and takes a specific interest in them. One of the most universal claims students make just before dropping out is they feel no one cares.
Once, I had a student who loved to draw. Suggest any model of an American muscle car classic and he could draw it in detail from memory. Vocabulary assignments sat by the way side, but he could use a pencil with amazing deftness. I am told this student did not pass art class, nor most any class, but he loved to draw cars. So, when we began a research unit, I allowed him to research the Pontiac Trans Am. To me, what was important was the act of research, not the subject, and he did the work, knowing I cared about his field of interest. In fact, I never learned so much about the Trans Am as I did that winter.
Optimism is a concept we all know and use with various levels of sincerity, but when children see and hear optimism in the face of difficult times, they will surely develop a coping strategy toward resilience. Taking another visual stroll through Worst Case Scenario, I read that when dealing with downed power lines, “assume that all power lines, whether sparking or not, are live.” This valuable manual goes on to instruct that one must stay away from downed lines and not assume non-sparking lines are safe.
The spirit of optimism dictates that when faced with situations that could be dangerous, harmful, or just downright contrary to our inner codes, just stay away from them. Don’t make excuses, lick your fingers and touch the power lines, just stay away from the daggone wires. Rather than nagging the kids about all the harms and ills out there in our scary worlds, just show them by example the positive side of avoiding that which leaves us heartbroken and in snares. Then, when trouble invariably comes, they will have the coping strategy of looking hardship in the face, turning and walking away.
One of my favorite tid bits of advice from this handy little manual is instruction on how to fend off a shark attack. “Hit back.” The passage continues that when attacked by a shark, “make quick, sharp, repeated jabs” in the eyes or gills. Now that we know to stay away from power lines in case they are live, we now know that if trouble comes into our waters and gives us no choice but to face it, just make a tight fist, aim for the gills, close your eyes and power away.
Each new day the sun rises in the same way, but we have no idea what will befall us that day. Sharks could attack, power lines could fall, and quick sand could engulf us, but in the face of difficulty, a positive outlook dictates that we “take the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly.” And in the end, hope that the worst thing that happens in the day is the coffee machine goes on the blitz.
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