Left High And Dry

by Anne Middleton, on November 24th, 2015

Marooned Without a Compass Day was November 6th. This relatively unknown and unofficial holiday awakens the imagination and warrants a discussion of the age-old controversial question…What are the crucial items you would you covet if you were stranded on a dessert island?

Are you a practical person who would opt for the stereotypical resources when left on your own, such as:

1. Fire. Fire is an essential for boiling the impurities out of the water supply, necessary when cooking food, valuable keep warm at night, required to discourage attack by vicious animals, not to mention letting passing ships know have been forsaken.

2. Blankets. The obvious purpose would be for warmth, but blankets and tarps also come in handy to shield the sun and protect from the rain.  They are versatile to be and shielded fashioned into a bag to carry wood, food, or anything else one might need to transport without the modern convenience of a shopping cart.

3. Spear or Knife or Machete. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elegant, but a sharp instrument would provide an advantage in acquiring fish, cutting flora and fauna for shelter, hunting and protection.

Sunblock, a hammock and other comforts would be welcome luxuries, but probably not required for sustaining life.

A more trendy decision would be to focus on a solar panel or two to naturally generate energy.  And if you had this modern technology, that Smartphone in a water-proof case that lives in your pocket and has a GPS navigation system app could be your saving grace. (As expected, you would also have the accessories to charge your electronic gadget naturally through the rays of the sun).

Not possible, you say? Just a mirage caused by the burning sun? Nonsense!

Verizon offers the Xperia Z3v waterproof smartphone model. It has a super slim design with a rounded aluminum frame and durable tempered glass  to blend function and beauty.  This is the ultimate communication device when thrown into the water from a sinking ship and swimming to safety on a lonely dessert isle.

All of us believe the solitude of a dessert islet would be the opportunity of a lifetime and a welcome chance to the constant speed of our daily lives.  But chances are that the water-locked landmass will seize your sanity within weeks and the initial pleasure of kicking back and enjoy being marooned will transition to frustration.

When your behavior becomes erratic, you will be grateful to have chosen T-Mobile’s network coverage to connect to the outside world.  As you tire of talking only to yourself and the loneliness that accompanies days of solitude on the uninhabited island sets in, you’ll be comforted knowing that T-Mobile has more than doubled their nationwide coverage this year. 

So as the Boy (and Girl) Scouts always say, “Always Be Prepared.”  Happy Marooned Without a Compass Day!