Lost

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 04 February 2009 16:22:04

Lost is an interesting concept.

I've just been out walking randomly in the forests near where I live for an hour and half. I didn't know exactly where I was nor did I really know where I was going, but I wouldn't say I was lost.

I took my GPS and marked my home location on it. After that I pretty much ignored it and just walked, randomly chosing which way to go on paths and which direction to take. There were brief moments where I had short term aims - heading for the pinetum at one point (having a vague idea where it was) and then trying vaguely to find a pond I once came across - but on the whole I just followed my feet.

I looked at the GPS when heading vaguely for home to check it was sort of in the right direction, but even then the GPS couldn't tell me much as it doesn't actually have any markings on it like trees, paths, fields or anything, so it was more a general right direction thing (meaning that at one point I completely ignored all paths and went through a hedge, across a field and through a stream!).

I knew there was a pond somewhere which I found by accident once and had never seen again, so looked for, and found that on the way home.

But was I lost? I'd say not. I didn't have a clue where I was. If there was an emergency I wouldn't know how to explain to anyone where I was. Or even if I'd had to get home quickly, I wouldn't have had a clue how to. My GPS could tell me the co-ordinates of where I was and where my home was, but that's only any good with a map / internet to hand, neither of which I had. The circular looking routes on the GPS might imply I was lost. But is being lost just an attitude? Can you only be lost if you are actually seeking something? I was happily being aimless, so wasn't lost.

Is there something about life in all of this?

(Oh, and yes, you were all correct, it was Maltesers!!!!)