One time when I was a kid, maybe 6 or 8 years old, the Old Man and I were walking out on a frozen lake to go ice fishing. He looked at me and said, "Take your Goddamned hands out of your pockets! Never walk on ice without having your arms free. And here, keep these in your pocket in case you fall through", and he handed me two 4" pieces of broom-handle, each with a sharp nail sticking out of one end and a hole drilled so they could nest together in your pocket. The idea was it would allow the potential drownee to pull himself out to safety from a frigid hole onto the slippery ice. I would like to say they saved my life and I still carry them, but I never did and probably lost them 50 years ago. Although, becoming more aware and unsteady as I get older, I do not walk on icy surfaces with my hands in my pockets. I opt to break a wrist rather than a hip or my skull. Score one for the Old Man.
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