(August 9, 2022) Richard Winter shares timely advice…
Let me share something from my childhood days.
I grew up just a few miles from the caves where a famous Australian Bushranger – bandit – hid while robbing gold carrying stagecoaches coming from the rich goldfields the state of Victoria. And my best friend and I often went splelunking together.
Splelunking? That’s going down holes in the ground, exploring caves that lead under the earth. Yes, it can be quite dangerous and it worried our mothers! But the nearby Captain Melville caves were just the start for us. Soon we heard about other places where we could go spelunking.
Then came Queen’s Scout days. That was a life of adventure and danger – isn’t that what all boys long for? Well, we did. There were no computers back then and life was best lived outside home – so off we went.
I loved those caves! In most cases you were exploring not only what’s under the earth but what was inside you! No mobiles in those days and one could be easily troubled by thoughts such as –
- How will we get back?
- Could we turn around the tight cavern corners?
- If we need help, how can we get some way down here?
- Do we have a plan for the worst-case scenario?
Entrapment caves
I’ve found that many people don’t like certain caves… but they’ve learned to dwell in them mostly by themselves or with a few family members or friends to help.