The Rosewood Casket, Sharyn McCrumb

 While I really enjoyed this novel- plenty of my favorite character, Nora Bonesteel, and a lovely man who makes his life enjoying nature and playing Daniel Boone for school kids- the quote I am sharing comes from Daniel Boone himself rather than Sharyn McCrumb.  (Many/most of her chapters open with a historic quote.)

I can't say I was ever lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.  

Daniel Boone

I cannot say that Daniel and I have much in common.  I'm far more hobbit-minded about adventures.  "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"  And, anyone who knows me at all, knows not to get between me and dinner.  I have been moderately lost on multiple occasions.  Stayed on the bus too long early in my residence of Brisbane - thinking that once the bus reached the end of the line, I'd recognize my bus stop on the second go round...ONLY to learn this was the END OF THE DAY for the bus and it WAS NOT going back from whence it came. Obviously, I came through that - and maybe you didn't quite absorb the enormity of the situation because you forgot that I DIDN'T HAVE A CELL PHONE at that point in my life.  There, now you are more impressed by my survival skills.  

I've also gone the wrong way a few times.  Drove back East when I got back on the highway after a short night's sleep while going home to Ohio from Durham. Only 40 miles or so.  And it seemed that each time I drove home from Wooster, the trip was longer.  I don't know HOW I managed that!

More philosophically, I've made choices that have left me feeling AT LEAST bewildered and for far longer than 3 days.  Lost? possibly.  Walked away from true love? Opted to study animal behavior instead of AI? (That was a great career move! but it did lead me to four cherished friends - in temporal order- Art, Carolyn, Tim and Wendy - and Regina who, alas, I have lost completely.)

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