My grandfather (maternal) and I shared a number of interests, some of which included gardening, camping and “walking” (not to mention that we had the same color of hair, though, I know that’s not exactly an interest). And, yes, I did say walking as opposed to hiking simply because, to us, it really didn’t matter much where we walked. It could be alongside a road, following marked trails or even in open forests where no trails existed. Like I said, it really didn’t matter. So, after finding a trail map of Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield buried among some of my papers, naturally, I began to think about my grandfather, especially about his compass, the one that became mine after his passing.
The compass is a Silva® Type 15T The Ranger, a handsome instrument, simple yet complex all at the same time. It’s made in Sweden, my grandparents were from Malmö, Sweden but I remember when my grandfather bought the compass. It was here in the United States so I suspect that he was having a little nostalgic moment of his own. Admittedly, though, it has been a while since I’ve looked at that compass, Bradley Palmer is a small park where even carrying a trail map can seem a bit “overkill.”
I must admit, too, as I examined the compass closely, what I really thought about and began to wonder is this, with all of the electronic and global positioning satellite devices available today, does anyone really know how to use a compass or read a topographical map? I mean, just think about it, cars, my cell phone, god only knows what else, all are equipped with GPS.
Seriously, I wonder if we’ve become so dependent on such devices that no one really knows how to read a map and compass! Do you?
A Little Bit o' Everything! 