I grew up in the bosque along the Rio Grande in NM. Our nearest neighbor was 1/4 mile away. At my 9th birthday party we were playing hide and seek or something and me and one friend vanished into the bosque. I used to hide in the area for hours, but something happened this day and i lost my way. We kept wandering in circles. My friend’s emotional state was making things hard on me. I not only had to find my way home but i also had to worry about him.

I finally ended up climbing a cottonwood tree to get my bearings. I normally am a human compass in my home area, but i could not see the sun or really anything but salt cedar. Once i climbed that tree i knew exactly where to go.

I expected to arrive home to worried parents and the be a fuss made over me being gone… No one even noticed. They moved onto the next game without us.