Bogged - February 11 2011

I received a call tonight from Ben. He had just hit the bitumen near Kata-Tjuta after having been out at Pipylatjara from 2pm. He received a call from Pete on the sattelite phone. Pete had gone out on his second bush buying trip and found himself bogged and unable to get out.

Ben began to describe the past 9 hours he had just experienced. I couldn't help but burst out into a belly laugh. He told me how he helped Pete jack the ute up so they could start digging out the tyres. The entire vehicle (with it's full load on the back) was bogged up to the chassis rail! These fellas were knee deep in mud!
This side track out of Pip is notorious after big rain and incredibly soft and unpredictable. So, you can imagine the work involved in jacking the ute up, without the jack being driven further down into the ground (I know all too well what this is like!)
They dug out their tyres, and filled the holes with bits of wood, sticks and grass. As Ben tells this story, I am taken back to a time 2 years ago.. My first bog... And it was dry!

I was travelling with 2 nanas. We hadn't gone out far. We went to where the tjala (honey ants) were. We went for hunting, and dancing. The nanas were carrying a cro-bar, and a bent hub cap - digging tools!! Those tjala are deep in the ground - yummy little buggers!

Anyway, we'd been digging and dancing all day and the sun had begun to set. Time to go! Until... the sand got soft, and down we sunk. I remember saying "Oh f***k" quite loudly and the nanas laughed. Out we got to have a look. I'd not been bogged before and I had no idea what I was meant to do. Nor did I have any mobile reception, so I couldn't phone anyone. Naturally, another "Oh f***k" floated through my mind.

While I stood there trying to work out how I was going to get myself and these two old ladies out of this dilemma, I saw that they were already onto it and had begun digging out sand from the tyres with their hands and their bent hub caps. One of them looked up at me and winked. (This is one of those profound moments for me that I will never, ever forget. This was like my training and initiation. I'd visited the desert many times before, but now I was living and working in it. I was in a sense, on my own. But clearly, I wasn't on my own either. Nor will I ever be while I am out there.)

"Hey kami (grandaughter), come 'ere. Look. Thum whitefellas been send you out soon. Nyuntu kutju. (Them whitefellas are going to send you out soon - on your own). Alatji. Do like me. Here." And she handed me her hub cap.
This is actually harder than it looks! We finally dug out the tyres and before I could turn my head, the nanas were gathering dead spinifex, leaves, twigs, wood and filling the holes and jamming them up against the tyres. I had no idea what was happening. The other nana called out to me "get in that mutaka and start 'im up. Do what I tell you". Ok, now I was scared!! I wasn't sure what was going on at this point. Our fate lay in the hands of a couple of old (but very wise) basket weaving old ladies with tobacco hanging out of their mouths. I wondered whether we'd be starting to walk home at any moment!!

"Go forward little bit, reverse little bit (stall). Start 'im up! Go forward (stall). Hey! You right? Wachu doin'? Start 'im up, foot on clutch!" These women were clear and on a mission. I kept 'stalling'. A nana came up to the window and said " 'ey, it gettin' dark. You wanna go 'ome? We wanna go 'ome. We 'ungry. You gotta think straight. Start 'im up!" I strongly recall this particular moment of alignment. I got present and I got intentional. I aligned myself with this women and did as they said.

"Go forward little, come back little bit. Come back more, flat out!!! Alatji! Turn 'im round, drive to that 'ard ground! Ooh-woh!" We'd gotten un-bogged, and were on our way!

Ben continues to tell me his story. After several attempts of jacking up the ute, and shovelling out mud, Ben made an attempt to snatch strap the bogged ute out, which, got him bogged as deep as Pete! After several hours, they recovered both vehicles, until further on down the track Pete got himself bogged again!

Both of these fellas are great drivers, Ben especially on these outback roads. This could have happened to anyone with the state these roads are in at the moment.

When I got off the phone with Ben, I was then reminded of some people I had seen at the beach. I've been swimming at the local beach lately. I started learning how to swim before I could walk and it's always been something I've been strong in. As I'm gliding through the water, I notice people who are very clearly unable to swim, yet venture out deeper and deeper, watching the shore. I hear a little voice in my head "never turn your back on the ocean". My father instilled this in me from a young child. "That ocean is unpredictable. Trust it, but never turn your back on it". This beach is generally quite flat and calm, but on this day, there was high wind and the surf was choppy. I could see this guy was struggling. He had a choice, he could sink or he could swim. He got himself closer to shore, and this is where he stayed for the time he was there!

How many of us, regardless of how 'skilled' we are, unconsciously get ourselves bogged in 'shit'? How often do we find ourselves drowning without even knowing it?

I have a very strong sense that 2011 is about bringing a serious level of consciousness into humanity. We're all starting to wake up. We are preparing for our journeys and we are going to be travelling lightly.

Again, this mob have re-ignited my inspiration. It is inspiring and admiring to see how easily and effortlessly they are able to get out of a rut. They just get on with it and do what is required to keep them moving. I love this.

It is a nice reminder, the next time any of us get bogged, or stuck - how can we look at our situation objectively, and what can we do to get ourselves moving forward again?