Episode 3: Forget Survival Man
If you have not seen it because you have been living under a rock, yes the pun is intended, there is a show "Survival Man." The premise; a guy goes out to try these insane antics to show how to survive various situations. One episode he may be out camping in the rain forest where he has no supplies so like MacGyver he uses his shirt as a tent, the leaves are transformed into a four-course dinner and the running water is constructed into a 10 person jacuzzi. So I may be a little excessive but you get the point. I though challenge Survivor Man (SM) against a military wife camping with kids with a husband that is gone anytime and I see us winning.
First off: SM is by himself so he can take as much time getting his coconut hut together as he would like. He doesn't have kids climbing all over him asking how much longer before they can go in as tent poles have been configured into foreign origami figures because daddy is not there to help.
Second: SM has a crew drop him off at his destination in a cushy airplane, car, truck, etc. I would love to be a fly in the minivan as he is driving with kids in tow to the camping destination that GPS says is two hours away. Except GPS doesn't take into account bathroom breaks, "I'm hungry" stops, the infamous "I don't feel good" quick pull over and the potty training toddler that has had an accident.
Third: SM is vacationing for free even if it is in the Antarctic. He is not trying to make the vacation fun and economical on the pay of an E-4, which currently is pretty much equivalent to poverty based on the number of kids in the family, even with WIC kids would like more than PB and cereal while camping.
Fourth: SM can roam as he pleases amongst the furry friends of the forest. A military mom on the other hand is surrounded by ferocious animals, I meant children, that want food now, swimming now, fun now, and the youngest that wants to be pushed in the stroller now all over creation.
Finally: He is alone and that is what I would not trade. Even with a husband gone the memories made, the time spent around the campfire, the stars to look at night with little eyes of wonder are worth all the challenges of doing it alone.
First off: SM is by himself so he can take as much time getting his coconut hut together as he would like. He doesn't have kids climbing all over him asking how much longer before they can go in as tent poles have been configured into foreign origami figures because daddy is not there to help.
Second: SM has a crew drop him off at his destination in a cushy airplane, car, truck, etc. I would love to be a fly in the minivan as he is driving with kids in tow to the camping destination that GPS says is two hours away. Except GPS doesn't take into account bathroom breaks, "I'm hungry" stops, the infamous "I don't feel good" quick pull over and the potty training toddler that has had an accident.
Third: SM is vacationing for free even if it is in the Antarctic. He is not trying to make the vacation fun and economical on the pay of an E-4, which currently is pretty much equivalent to poverty based on the number of kids in the family, even with WIC kids would like more than PB and cereal while camping.
Fourth: SM can roam as he pleases amongst the furry friends of the forest. A military mom on the other hand is surrounded by ferocious animals, I meant children, that want food now, swimming now, fun now, and the youngest that wants to be pushed in the stroller now all over creation.
Finally: He is alone and that is what I would not trade. Even with a husband gone the memories made, the time spent around the campfire, the stars to look at night with little eyes of wonder are worth all the challenges of doing it alone.
