He who has once been happy is for aye
Out of destruction’s reach. His fortune then
Holds nothing secret, and Eternity,
Which is a mystery to other men
Has like a woman given him its joy.
… He can bear to die.
W. S. Blunt
Fear always remains. A man may destroy everything within himself,
love and hate and belief, and even doubt,
but as long as he clings to life he cannot destroy fear.
Joseph Conrad, An Outpost of Progress
I spent most of the last 10 years focusing on the fear of a failed life, in one form or another, reading about, listening to, and subsequently processing too many complicated and diverse thoughts on such concerns. Discovering, eventually, that challenging myself, in a mental and physical way, as wars have done for my forefathers, was the key that would unlock piece in my mind and in my heart. Standing tall on ones' feet and not, in the final judgment, feeling inadequate in the company of greater men that have come before, is as much a man can hope to achieve in life.
This site is a diary of sorts, kept from 2007 to 2010, during which I embarked on numerous non-traditional travel experiences all aimed at identifying and, hopefully, getting closer to resolution of the concern that had taken hold of me so many years ago, and grown stronger over time - catering to my strong Ulysses Factor, as JRL Anderson put it. Some may find inspiration in these pages to pursue their own attempt at mastering fear, which seems to be, in the end, the driving force in each of our lives. Others will simply find travel suggestions or the ramblings of a seeking mind.
For those who wonder, I have found some answers while being alone in the middle of oceans and deserts, but have not, yet, managed to solve the riddle that I set out to...
London, UK
- Crossed the Pacific mostly solo on my sailboat and arrived in Brisbane, Australia.
- Sold Kali to Ivor & Debbie from Sydney and returned to work... a new Chapter.
- Next projects: too many to list! but the bar keeps going higher...