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TIFU by teaching survival skills to a church group

I feel really guilty atm.

I guess I didn’t see this FU coming, but boy, has it bit me in the ass.

I’m 30, former Army medic, reserves now. Also certified as an EMT and currently work in emergency medicine. I volunteer at church, mainly helping with the youth groups and doing outdoorsy sh- stuff, because I like it so much.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I hurt my back doing a lift by myself and had to take some time off from medicine, at about the time I was needed the most. I felt bad, and also knew that the teenagers I volunteer with were bored, confined, and not happy being stuck at home.

So I organized a weekly (outdoor! Safe!) class for them. Started out as properly distanced hikes, then as regulations eased, I started teaching survival skills and medical basics. Been doing that ever since. When the weather’s very bad, we stay inside and teach other life skills (my sister helps).

Now one of my best students is gone. I don’t mean dead, I mean literally gone. No one has seen her since 9 am this morning, and she took her camping and survival stuff. She’s not with friends. Apparently she’s been harming herself, parents found out, and she ran rather than face the music.

Here’s where I FU’ed. I taught her all of these survival skills, some self-defense, and even tips on how to hide from bears, people with bad intentions, etc. Most of the kids in my class can build a shelter, start fires with flint or a magnifying glass, stay somewhat warm, find their way, and identify and get food and water in nature. I even took groups hunting and winter camping!

I inadvertently made it a lot easier to run away, and might’ve even taught more than that, by showing how to make a more or less sterile field and treat injuries.

I’m an ass. I really messed this up.

TL;DR: Teach a class at church, accidentally taught a teenager how to run away “better”, avoid being found.

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