Survivor Tom Hanks Style

While watching Castaway again (against my will…there was literally nothing on TV) I get all talking to the TV because it irks me. I mean I do this every time I see this movie, I become mentally deranged. Why you ask? First, thanks for asking…secondly because Chuck Nolan (Tom Hanks) should have died that first week. This idiot had no actual survivor instincts. Like when he found the dead pilot guy he took from the body a flashlight (which he left on and it burned out) and his shoes (I think). Anyway my point is I would have taken his clothes (Even to be used as bandages), belt and anything else he had and then respectfully buried the body (after surveying my situation). And that one package that he didn’t open…well the whole time I though to myself…what if there was a flare gun or a knife or a first aid kit inside?

This movie just annoys the crap out of me. I get the whole “Wilson” is my new BFF because Chuckie probably wasn’t used to alone time but seriously this man seemed to be a some what educated man and he didn’t know that coconut milk would give him the poops? I know I’m being hard on old Chuck but still I had trouble believing that he would survive one week let alone five years.

I blame my friend S for instilling me with my survival instinct. It happened on a cruise we went on with a group of friends. They muster the guests to the deck as part of an evacuation exercise before the launch. After giving us our instruction for an evacuation S pulled us aside and said if the ship was going down there would be pandemonium and that we should all meet at the boat with the radio and motor. He showed us that that boat, unlike the long boats had a radio, first aid kit, and flare guns as well as the motor. Good point…that my friends is real survival instinct!

Now when I’m in a movie theater and the voice comes on and tells us to identify the exits I do and not only that I assess if there was an evacuation where would the masses around me be most likely to exit. I would choose the other (no bottlenecking).

And unlike Chuck after surviving the plane crash I would have looked around and made sure there were other survivors (strength in numbers), then I would have made sure the area was safe. Beyond that and knowing I was even temporarily stranded I would have used the raft as shelter with a divet to collect any rain water. Once I have shelter set up and I found those coconuts as a back up for hydration I would have set out in small increments to look for usable water and other food forms. Then I would try to make fire. Sure my survival plan isn’t perfect but you know what….I have one….thanks to S!