Close your eyes1, and imagine a meadow.
This meadow is huge, continuing far beyond the event horizon.
The grass is lush and beautiful, slim, green blades poking out of the ground, completely covering the dirt below.
The sun is bright, yet gentle, warm, comforting rays bathing your skin like a stream of water.
The sky is a pale shade of blue, with some wispy clouds, stretching across the world above you.
The world around you is completely and utterly perfect. You could walk around for hours without growing unhappy. Everything seems amazing, and that's how you know something's about to go wrong.
Just as you step forward, your eyes on the bright world ahead of you, it slips away into darkness as you plunge straight into the dirt.
Maybe not straight, you did fall in at a bit of an angle, which would explain the mud covering your side…
But anyways, see what happened?
You were so busy looking at the beautiful world, so far ahead of you, that you forgot about what was directly in front of you.
Now, you're in a hole.
The thing is, there are so many kinds of holes, so let me clarify some details:
Size
Holes can come in an alarming variety of sizes.
Some are tiny, like potholes, making you trip or stumble.
They do little harm, and can often help, jolting you back to attention.
These are very common, often found all across the meadow.
Next, are medium holes.
These are often wider, and deeper.
Far deeper.
Even within "medium", there is huge variety.
Some of them can be climbed out of with little assistance. Maybe just standing on a stump or tree root, jumping as hard as you can, or kicking some dirt until you have a little slope.
For others, you may need some assistance.
I'll say this once, I'll say it again:
No matter how innocent and beautiful this meadow may seem, no matter how happy you think you can be on your own, travel with other people. You never want to be caught in a hole alone.
Many times, the holes are deep enough that you need to be helped out by someone.
Hopefully, your friends are loyal and loving enough that they'll be willing to pull you out.
Medium holes can easily be escaped, maybe with a bit of work, but they're normally not too much trouble.
Large holes are when the real problem starts.
Some of these holes are so huge, that you can see them from far, far away.
The problem is, some of these are so wide, that you simply cannot walk around them.
Many of these have bridges built over them.
But not strong, sturdy bridges.
Think something along the lines of a log over a raging river.
Of course, that log can just as easily displace, wobble, or snap…
Once you're in a large hole, do not- and I repeat- do not ever panic.
Panicking will never get you anywhere.
Unless you scream really loud. Someone might hear you and find you.
But, the first thing I suggest once falling into a large hole is taking a good, careful look around.
Which brings us to the next section:
Shape
Yes, holes come in different shapes.
Some are the round holes you expect.
Others can be rectangular, trench-like, or a wobbly, muddy mess that makes you wonder whether another traveler dug out a hole just to make others fall.
Size is normally not much of a concern…
Until you get to large holes.
Once you've fallen into a large hole, you need to check the shape.
Round holes are, by far, the most common.
And the most simple to get out of.
To remove yourself from a large, round hole, especially on your own, you need to get your hands dirty.
Dig, make a little mountain of mud, and climb atop it, and….
You're out!
Theoretically.
Trench-like holes are the most dangerous.
They're tight and narrow, limiting your ability to move around, and really can mess with your head.
The best way to get out of these, is to find help.
Get a friend to toss down a rope, call out and scream until someone comes, just find someone.
No one, not even the most skilled and experienced of people, can get out of a trench-like hole on their own.
Unless you have ladders and ropes in your backpack, but we'll speak about that later.
The last shape of holes, are the messy, muddy ones.
The ones other people have dug.
For the life of me, I can't understand why other people feel the need to waste their own precious time digging holes.
Perhaps they were targeting someone in specific, and the trap remained after time.
Perhaps they fell into a particularly nasty hole, weren't rescued for a length of time, and grew resentful towards others.
Or maybe, they did it for fun.
Perhaps they're crouching behind a clump of grass and watching others fall in.
These holes are extremely annoying, and often alarming to fall into, but the good news is, they're badly made.
They often have lumps of unshaped mud lying around, clumps of dirt—
I've even fallen into one that had the shovel lying in a corner.
Often, you will find all sorts of trinkets left behind by the digger.
These kinds of holes are normally not large, and can be quite easy to hop out of.
Just annoying, and pointless.
You may be noticing a pattern.
Most holes are fine and easy enough to get out of.
Until you come to large ones.
They are the most dangerous, and not everyone makes it.
Which is why you must be prepared.
And which is why I'm dedicating a section to them.
Large Holes
Well, now you've done it.
You're crouching inside a large hole.
For the sake of example, we'll say a large, round, and deep hole.
So deep and dark, that you can hardly feel the sun.
It was there, just a moment ago, you remembering feeling it.
But now, its gone.
The warmth and light… the comfort and joy…
All gone.
And suddenly, you're alone in the dark.
Many people will pass by.
They will look, see your problem, express their sympathy, but many will simply back off and walk away.
Some will offer notes of motivation, little bits of advice, but the overwhelming majority won't help you.
Sure, some will. Those who do will need a nice, long rope. Or a ladder. And the two of you will need to put in heavy effort to get you out.
But then, there's a chance that they might trip in, joining you in the dark. Then the two of you will be trapped, unable to help eachother, simply sitting in the darkness.
Being in a large hole for extended periods of time can be as terrible to your mental health as wandering a trench-like hole.
At the beginning, all you can think of is getting out.
All you can think of is the beautiful, bright world above you.
But as more and more time passes, what if you don't want to leave?
What if the feeling of warm sun on your back was so long ago, so distant?
What if every happy memory you've ever had seems faded and worn at the corners, like an old photograph?
What if all the joy outside the hole suddenly seems alien, like something everyone except you can have?
What if the world within that dark, cold, shady hole is suddenly… comforting?
What if it becomes familiar?
Your home, your life…
What if it becomes you?
Just a dark, vast, emptiness, below the sun, the grass, even the dirt.
Buried far, far below, far, far away…
I can feel your concern.
Large holes can leave lasting impacts on anyone, even the most positive of people.
After spending a long time trapped in one, you may feel like you can never get out.
You may feel like there's no hope, that there's no point.
The thing is, there's always a point.
Being in a meadow isn't about sitting in one place and feeling bad for yourself. It's about climbing out and growing stronger, moving past every obstacle.
The longer you stay in a hole, the deeper and deeper you'll sink.
The longer you stay in the meadow the brighter and brighter you'll feel.
No matter what shape or size your hole is, I promise you one thing.
With the appropriate effort and help, you will get out.
Just set your mind on getting out, ignore your fearful thoughts, and focus on your one task.
Just, ignore that skeleton in the corner, and you'll be fine.