Gary
is finishing his cross Country trip! Please see " The Route"
pages
(above) of this web site to read about my trip.
Other Stuff
This page is a
catch all for
information and content that
doesn't fit anywhere else... If you'd like to contribute
something to the
site drop me a line.
A
Curious Diversion
I’ve always been fascinated by the flow of time and the
idea
that the actions we take at any given moment may have a much greater
consequence on our future than we ever imagine. For example,
let’s say
that one day you were passing a
bookstore and on a whim decided to stop in and browse awhile. While
checking
out a book in your favorite section of the store you meet the person
who turns out
to be your lifelong spouse and best friend. Had you not made that spur
of the
moment decision you probably never would have met this special
person.
We can walk this line of thought down an infinite number of
steps to our birth if we choose too… Let’s say you
were watching the
Golf Channel a couple of days earlier and heard a Pro
talking about a book you just had to have, while walking past the book
store that fateful day you remembered the Pro
talking about the book… And so on and so on…
This leads us to the point of my
curious diversion, in the past I have tried to trace the chain of
events
backwards for certain events in my life, I did this as much out of
curiosity as
to learn something. Recently I have even started consciously tracing
certain
events the moment the germ of an idea hits me, you begin to see
patterns
forming and you can visualize the outcome in your mind.
I can trace the origin of
this trip
back quite a ways and thought it might make interesting reading, it is
after
all just a diversion. The list of books below document a chain that
spawned
the
idea for taking this cross country adventure… This may seem
silly or
even a
waste of time to some of you but I’d respond “Why
are you still reading
then?”
Book read
Led to
this book
Why?
Rip Van
Winkle (1974)
My Side of the
Mountain
School Assignment
My Side of the
Mountain (1975)
Walden
The
“living in the woods” theme.
Definitely a rebellious period in time for me.
Walden (1976)
Walden
Had to read it
again!
Walden (1983)
A Walk Across America
The theme of going
on a journey
carrying only what you can on your back.
A Walk Across America
(1983 - 2000) Read
again in 2000.
The Metal Cowboy
(2000)
I wasn’t
about to walk across America,
I didn’t have the time! But Cycle across? Now we are talking!
Gary's
Photography Gallery
- Gary's
Picture Gallery
I enjoy taking pictures, mostly of nature. I have taken thousands of
pictures over the years, a few turn out well. This Gallery holds just a
handful
of shots. Most of these pictures have large file sizes to retain image
sharpness, if you are viewing these pages with anything less than a
highspeed connection expect long load times.
Gary's Poetry - Gary's
Poetry Page
If you read enough Emerson, Frost and others of that ilk you
eventually
end up penning a few words yourself. Here is a small sample
from
yours
truly.
2004
Father & Son trip to the BWCA
Photo
by Gary Hancq Sr. Gary
Sr. & Gary
Jr paddling out of the BWCA after a week long wilderness canoe trip.
We we're just a
little
grizzly at the end but we had a blast! We both enjoyed this trip so
much that we planned on going again this year (summer 2005) but the
bicycle trip kind of got in the way. There's always next year!
While on this trip we had several cool experiences and saw a lot of
wildlife, however the greatest story of all is the story of Grandpa
& Joey! Click here for "The
Story of Grandpa
& Joey"
A Favorite Poem - The Road Not Taken by
Robert Frost I have heard this poem called by several names;
the
road less traveled, the
road not traveled, the road less taken... The actual name of this poem
is
"The Road Not Taken." However, it is understandable
how one
could rearrange the title of this poem, regardless of how you phrase it
the feeling stays the same... Enjoy!
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.
Henry
David Thoreau
from the "Conclusion" to Walden
