Some questions aren’t meant to be asked.

The difference between me and someone who grew up in the city is that when posed with the question, “If you were stranded in the wilderness with only a knife would you kill a deer or hog by slitting their throat or stabbing them in the guts?” I realize that is a ridiculous question.

It is wrong on so many levels.  First of all, if I were stranded in the wilderness I probably wouldn’t try to kill a deer or a hog.  I would try to catch rabbits or fish.  Secondly, there is no way that you could kill a hog with only a knife without killing or at least seriously wounding yourself in the process.  And third, a deer would just run away from you if you tried to sneak up on it with a knife. 

When the unsuspecting city boy posed the question to me today, I laughed at him.  He seemed hurt, like I had just killed his dog or something.  And he pestered me to answer it.  I went into great detail about how I would attempt to kill both animals (which involved fashioning a spear and or a bow and arrow), and explained that I’d probably not try to kill either of those animals, but would stick to small game instead. 

He gave me the most baffled look.

I realized then that he’d wanted to know if I’d kill it quickly or let it suffer, which is an entirely different question.  And one that he hadn’t asked at all (Had I been thinking, I would have given the easy answer.  That way I wouldn’t have come off looking like Bear Grylls.  Hopefully, I look a bit more feminine than that.)  

The idea of my Scotsman friend stuck in the wilderness with only a knife trying to catch a deer strikes me as hilarious.  I hope he never gets stuck somewhere.  He’d not last long.