Rigorous Reaching 11/05/08

Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool
or you go out in the ocean.

Christopher Reeves

***************************

Who has the courage to go out to where your feet don't touch the bottom? It takes effort to go there and stay there. It means letting go of some safety, some dependability. It's a risk.

I am thinking about my brother's story of the client he took out in his sailboat one day. The man was fine, having a good time sailing around Long Island Sound, until he realized he couldn't see the land. Then he got frightened. As long as he knew where the land was he was okay. But when he lost sight of it he panicked. My brother had to turn the boat around and head for shore.

Imagine an astronaut in outer space who's okay as long as he can see the earth. He wouldn't do very well on Star Trek.

As a swimmer I used to like swimming as far out as I could until I got tired and then turn and gradually make my way back until my feet touched the bottom. Once they did I knew I would make it back to shore.

Adventures lie on the high seas, in outer space, in the wilderness and at the deep end of a swimming pool.

I had friends in New Hampshire who liked to walk off into the forest, not knowing where they were going, and spend the day exploring things. They always made their way back even though they had lost all sight of civilization.

In a way I'm like my brother's friend. When I went hiking I had to have a map and a trail guide so that no matter how many miles I went into the forest I always knew I was on the trail. It was the only way I was sure to get back home.

I'm still looking for the trail guide to life.


DB - Vagabond Journeys