What item......Response Paper

          If, for some inexplicable reason, I were put in a situation where I was forced to leave my home immediately, without foreknowledge or consent, I would make sure to take at least one item with me on my way out the door.
          This item would need to be something small and light, so it could be carried around easily, like a cell phone or pocket chess set. At the same time, it would need to be versatile, something whose purpose could adapt to the various environments I might find myself in, such as a Swiss Army Knife or a toothbrush.
          After taking a quick glance around my room, the item I would probably decide on taking would be my FM radio. Yes, this may seem illogical at first, seeing as how there is a plethora of seemingly more practical things at my disposal. A driver’s license, money, a laptop; these all seem like very good items, but outside the comforts of one’s hometown their benefits can fade surprisingly quickly.
          Take a driver’s license for instance. Possessing a driver’s license means you have a photo ID and proof of name and age, not to mention the eligibility to drive. But what if you find yourself at the mercy of a local street gang? As they’re brandishing their clubs and knives, scowling at you menacingly, do you think they’ll care if you’re legally allowed to operate a motor vehicle?
          Then there’s the laptop, a very practical sounding item indeed. With it you can email others, check the local news, type up reports, or spend your time checking stock quotes. All for about two hours, at the end of which your battery will be fully drained and you will be left virtually empty handed. Sure you can sell the laptop, assuming there’s an electronics store nearby. Unfortunately electronics stores are usually only found in commercial areas, and commercial areas make up less than fifty percent of the United States. Chances are you’ll just be stuck with that useless laptop, perhaps in a desert in the Southwest somewhere, with only technologically inept vultures to keep you company.
          So by now you’re probably wondering, “How will having a FM radio with you in these situations make any difference?”
          Well the fact of the matter is, it won’t.
          If I’m ever in situations as extreme as these, it doesn’t matter what one item I decide to bring with me. Bringing a FM radio will yield the same end results as bringing anything else, but as I’m being knifed by a gang or pecked upon by vultures, at least I’ll have a good song to listen to.
          It’s really not about the physical objects you bring into the situation that make the difference in the outcome, what matters is the state of mind you’ve brought with you. Entering a situation with qualities such as ambition, perseverance, and courage, those can make a bigger difference than any object.