I just finished giving a speech for my college Public Speaking class. It was on the topic of fire building (I demonstrated a log cabin style) and it went over pretty good. I showed examples of tinder, kindling, and fuel to everyone in the class and even built a small log-cabin for them to see. I also had a handout prepared that had black and white pictures of me building the fire (pictures of birds' nest, me batoning a piece of pine knot with my knife, and whatnot). It looked as though everyone was pretty interested---I only had one girl tell me that she was not interested in a handout.

Of course, she said, "that kind of thing won't happen to me." If you ask me, it seems as though the people who never expect to have to survive always are the ones that we read about in the news...

After asking if she owned a fireplace, I managed to get her to take a handout!

Wouldn't it be ironic if your handout wound up as emergency tinder? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I would rather see it used as emergency tinder, rather than improvised toilet paper!

Eaglescout:

A quicker method is to thank her because you now have one more person you will not help in an emergency.

If she asks why, tell her if she doesn't care enough to prepare for emergencies, why should you care for her and have to divide your supplies with someone who didn't care enough to prepare.

Yeah, I know it is cruel and not "politically correct", but the point will come through much quicker and you may save her from future problems.

Bountyhunter

Getting rich seems to be the American dream.

Being short-sighted seems to be the American condition.

(Hawkeye Pierce: "Flying so high with your head in the sky".)

Sue