Maine to North Dakota
(Originally Maine to Washington)
Gary
Sr
|
Gary Sr. 2005 Entries (Summary)
A Father’s Reflections on His Son’s Desire to Dare It
is
probably no
coincidence
that right at the top of my son’s list of heroes is Henry
David Thoreau
born
David Henry Thoreau 1817 –1862. And, that right at the top of
my list
of
literary heroes and humanists, the name Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882
is
indelibly inscribed. As much for what he had to say, as for the magic
and the
beauty with which he said it.
Both
men
appreciated the beauty and the wonderment of
nature – both shared their vision with the world. Both
struggled with
the
ageless questions of: What
am I – Who
am I – And what am I doing here. I believe both men found
some
reasonable and
satisfactory answers to those questions and that they -- Satisfied
their own
thirst for such answers. And, they shared their quest with
each
other and
with us. Thoreau and Emerson if not contemporaries, were
close
friends.
Thoreau lived with Emerson and his family for a couple of years. And if
memory
serves me right, Thoreau’s Walden was on
Emerson’s property. (Thoreau
is
buried in his family's plot near the graves of his friends Hawthorne,
Alcott, Emerson,
and Channing on Author's Ridge in Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.) Cited from: http://www.walden.org/institute/thoreau/overview/thoreau_the_man.ht Within
the
pages of
this web site
my son has indicated that as a young man he drew inspiration from the
writings
and the chosen life of Henry David Thoreau. I can understand that very
clearly
and vividly, because another young man found that same inspiration in
the words
and teachings (Yes they were teachers) of Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was
Mr.
Emerson who planted the seed for the struggle of acquiring and
developing a
strong personal philosophy of life. And no one should be without one.
So when my
son called me
from
Omaha in February and said he had to visit and talk, and then announced
his
desire for taking The Trip, and
asked if I thought it
might be
irresponsible, I answered with an emphatic NO! And I did not have to ask
him why he desired or
dared such a
trip.
On the lighter side, Gary will have ample and sufficient time throughout The Trip to contemplate and reflect on those issues that define “the search for the inner self”, as he nibbles on “Granola Bars” and finds his nightly repast on more than one occasion to be a bowl of “Ramen Noodles”. The trip will indeed test his mettle, his persistence, his endurance and his person. He will, without doubt meet some wonderful new friends along the way. Again, I wish my son success in his Endeavor and I will share in his Sweet Taste of Success, albeit from a distance, as he dips his big toe in the Waters of the Pacific Ocean in late August early September.
Link To
Gary Sr's: Trail
Food (Gary Sr's lip smackin trail food
recipes!) Initial Entry 5/14/2005 Being into my second retirement since October 2004, I have taken on the daunting task of managing and maintaining this website which will chronicle Gary's progress during his "Cross Country Bicycle Trip", and I will be keeping you all informed of his progress with posted updates to "The Route" page of this website. I'll also be sending additional tires, cases of bear repellent, and other miscellany, as he requires during the trip, in care of General Delivery to various Post Offices along his route. Hopefully, he in return will be sharing his stories and notes as his trip progresses, as well as, sending me photos that he will be taking along the way. I wish my Son: Health -- Safety -- And a Rich Composited Collection of Enjoyable and Memorable Experiences as -- He Pedals West. God Speed Gary Sr.  Some of the bounty of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness Area -- July 2004 P.S. I will be adding additional thoughts and reflections to this page as Gary's Trip progresses. Link to "Sid's Riverfront" a family page: Sid's Riverfront
"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance: that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better or worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which was given to him to till." Ralph Waldo
Emerson |
