I never had a great relationship with my grandpa. He left my mom early in her life and never cared about us kids. For years, I had never seen my grandpa as a grandpa. He didn't know my or my sister’s names. He also never came to visit. I had seen him maybe three times in my life. I met a man named Mike through scouts. He always pushed the kids to do their best, and Mike sometimes supported me more than the others. He became a family friend, and I started to see him as a grandpa. He saw something in me that he didn't see in others. He saw himself as a kid and helped a lot. Mike would help to fund trips if I couldn't afford them. He would take me out on the lake early in the morning to fish while everyone was at the lake house, still asleep. He taught me all kinds of knowledge about the outdoors. He was a great inspiration, but he passed away recently. 

Mike wasn't the only one I saw as a grandpa; I also have my brother-in-law's grandpa, Ed. Ed is a great guy. He always puts God and family first. It’s what makes him so special; he doesn't like to see people get hurt, and he always goes out of his way to help his family. I would go over every Christmas and Thanksgiving to his house if I weren't there. He would always ask why to ensure I was okay. He has always been a grandfather figure to me and always will be, and the same goes for Mike. No one can entirely replace these two. They have been with me for most of my life now and never fail to support me and push me to be my best. My love for the outdoors comes from these two. They loved to hunt and fish. They told me many of their secrets about hunting and fishing.

The things I've learned from these people can help me survive in the wild. I've learned to hunt, build shelters, and how to shoot guns. All these skills combined make surviving in the wilderness easier, or does it? Just because you have these skills doesn't prepare you for the wilderness. Your body won't be used to the abuse. It won't be used to the food, making it easy to get sick. You have to know what you can and can not eat. You have to understand how to cook the things you eat correctly to ensure you can't get sick from food that could be poisonous or undercooked.