Six Degrees of Hugh DeBurgh?

Dear Friend,

During our journey we have had a surprising number of connections to random people we have met and we have discovered that friends had connections to the random places that we have visited along the way.

These connections were discovered through off hand conversations and always came as a surprise to us.

To appreciate the degree of coincidence it is important to note that we live in a very rural area that “no one” has heard of.

While traveling outside of Chicago, our friend who was then traveling with us met a couple who knew just where we lived, the tiny town where our friend worked, would be in that town within the month and would stop by the shop that she worked to visit her then.

Next we stopped in a random town in Minnesota during our journey north.  It turns out that our friend had stayed in that very same small town twenty five years earlier while biking across North America.  She had no idea of this when we arrived.

In northern Montana, we met a couple who were also from Virginia, who were on the same journey path that we were.

In Glacier National Park, we visited Apgar, Montana, a very tiny place, only to discover that a Chicago-based business associate of ours grew up there.

While touring Yellowstone, I heard from an old classmate.  I thought that she was living in California, but it turns out that we had just driven right past her house outside of Yellowstone park, without realizing it.

In Whistler, British Columbia, a neighboring camper just happened to make small talk while we were hooking up.  It turned out that he grew up about five miles from our home in Virginia, and knew some of our friends.  I had never seen this man before in my life  (he was single and we tried to hook him up with our single friend). 😉

On the ferry from Vancouver, we met a couple the husband of which was born in Iowa City, where we had stopped on our way out and where some of our good friends live.  He noted that he had last been in the States twenty five years ago, and at that time had made a trip to Virginia, staying about twenty minutes from our home.

As we were departing our campground at Hoodsport, Washington, in the middle of nowhere, with practically no other campers nearby, a couple pulled up next to us in an RV.  Turned out that he had been in the service and at that time lived just 20 minutes from our home.  He knew exactly where we lived.

Just this evening, the same classmate from Wyoming noted that she and her family would be visiting a museum in San Francisco this Wednesday, the same day that we had already arranged to tour the city and visit that same museum.  Neither of us knew of the others’ plans or scheduled locale (we have no schedule).

Yes, these are just coincidences I think.  But it does continue to surprise us just how many connections we find to people and places that we have never known before.

It really is a small world.

All the best,

Hugh

Welcome to the Republic of California?

Dear Friend,

Hi From Sunny California!

Well, sorta sunny.  We awoke this morning on the Pacific coast of Oregon, to a chilly and damp fog, combined with intermittent rain.  Classic Pacific northwest weather.

After a long day’s drive (my wife took most of today’s shift), we arrived in the area of California’s redwood forests.  Amazingly, practically the moment we crossed the border, the skies opened up and the warm sun shone through.

However, we couldn’t take notice because the “Republic of California” maintains an armed border post at it’s border with Oregon – the only such post between States that I have ever seen in my life.

The guard who greeted us was pleasant, and told us that they were defending Califoria from pests.  I am sure that they are.  Still, I really did feel like I was crossing into another nation.

And, honestly, I do not believe that such a post is constitutional, as it restricts free and unencumbered trade and travel between States.  It certainly could have a “chilling” effect on ordinary folks crossing between these two States.  Yet I understand that these posts have been on California’s  borders with other States for years.

Of course, the US Supreme Court has allowed this, or such border posts wouldn’t exist.  But I’ve never put much faith in those guys, to tell you the truth.

If all of that constitutional mumbo-jumbo means nothing to you, don’t sweat it.  My old legal education is showing its ugly head again.

I also noticed that California had no welcome sign.  Oregon had a welcome and a goodbye sign, one facing in each direction.  So am I welcome here or not?  My fruit was certainly suspect.

Anyway, tomorrow we check out the big trees, and then barrel down to SF for a few days.

Talk to you later!

Hugh

Now What?

Dear Friend,

Those words (or just the fear of hearing them) haunt just about every job holder in today’s deadsville economy.

Losing a job is a real possibility these days, even for long-time, loyal employees.

I cannot begin to alleviate your pain if this has happened to you recently.  However, I want to point out the silver lining in the otherwise dark clouds that are hanging over you right now.

Answer this question for me:  Did you get up every morning for this job, excited to go to work and dive right in?  If not, then why are you looking for another one of these dead ends?

You now have an incredible opportunity to reinvent your life and begin pursuing the dreams that you never seriously considered before.

The economy is bad for a reason.  We are in a transition from an old economy to a new and very different one.  May I suggest that this is the time to jump off of that old clunker of a train and board the “new” economy?

Perhaps this time, you won’t be worried about what you’ll do in retirement, because you will be doing what you love everyday!

Chase your passions – those things that you’d do for free.  There are today an incredible number of ways to “monetize” (earn money) while doing just about anything.  So why not take this opportunity to go after what you love?

Just imagine yourself going from down in the dumps to thrilled to be alive in the time it takes for you to make this decision for yourself.

Hey, it’s your life.  Maybe it’s time to start living it?

All the best,

Hugh

My Life IS My Message

Dear Friend,

Sometimes new acquaintances ask me, “So Hugh, what is it you do?”  It seems like a straight-forward question, but for me, answering never is.

Consider the following possible answers:

“I help awaken people to the life they should be living.”

“I show people how to transform their lives and live their dreams.”

“I help people to re-order their priorities.”

“I talk about my unusual lifestyle so that others might be inspired to follow.”

For some, these answers are perfect.  They are listening, and they truly want to take control of their lives.  For others, particularly those who just ask this question to make polite conversation and aren’t really looking for an answer, responses like these just leave them bewildered.

Most of this latter group expect me to say that I sell widgets or I’m a lawyer or something.  Sometimes, when I see that someone just doesn’t get it, I say that I’m a writer.   Which is true.  People like that answer better.  It seems like a cool job and it explains my somewhat eccentric and wandering lifestyle.

In truth, what I really do is to be the true me.  And, whenever you do that, you are bound to do and try things that the masses wouldn’t dare do or try.  And I guess that makes me appear eccentric sometimes.

When you start to direct your own life’s path, you too will be faced with this explanation conundrum.  When this happens – celebrate!  You have finally left the old rutted path and taken the path less traveled.  Your path.

Way to go!

Let the way you live your life be a beacon and example to all.  First and foremost, to your children.

At least, that’s what I try to do.

Talk to you soon,

Hugh

Navy Tests New Flying Car Design

Dear Friend,

In the course of our journey we have observed a great deal of construction going on all over North America.

In just about every circumstance, the quality of the work appears excellent.  The roadways and bridges throughout the US and Canada, at least to this amateur’s eye, look to be well cared for.

We have also enjoyed some beautiful national, state and provincial parks.  In almost every case, the facilities were neat, well maintained, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

What has surprised me, though, is that we have had to pay for the use of all of these facilities, and the local staff has informed us that ninety percent or more of their funding comes from their entrance fees.  In other words, our tax dollars do not fund these fine facilities.

Makes you wonder.  Exactly what do our tax dollars fund?

I’m sure that this data is readily available.  Then again, I have heard that some of our highest leaders really have no idea where all of this money goes.

Maybe we should just make all of government funded by user fees?  We could make the fees high enough to cover the poorer folks who can’t afford much.

At least this way, we’d know where all of the money goes.  And if we didn’t much like what they were doing with it, we could simply “cancel our order.”

What do you think?

All the best,

Hugh

Mount Saint Helens

Dear Friend,

Today, there isn’t much that leaves us in awe.

We are educated in general scientific principles.  Through modern media we are exposed to the wonders of space, of quantum physics, and other incredible discoveries.

As a species, we no longer ascribe great geological events to the anger of the gods.  It is easy, therefore, to think that physical travel for the purpose of discovery and learning is a quaint but expensive relic, best left to the rich and the retired.

However, there is one element of travel that modern technology cannot effectively communicate.  In fact, I think that our current media technology tends to understate it.

That element is the “awe” factor.

Today, my family and I visited Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in southern Washington State.  All that I can say after this experience is, “Wow!”

If you are as old as me then you remember that day in 1980 when the volcanic forces under Mount St. Helens unleashed their fury on this region of North America.  It was a day, and a scene, that I will never forget.

However, as much impact as that devastating eruption had on me nearly thirty years ago, I had never actually visited the “scene of the crime.”  And it is only now that I understand how incredibly powerful this event was, unleashing the force of over 7,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs within a seven hour period.

To see this mountain today, capped in snow, towering massively above all of the otherwise great mountains that surround it, is to be affected on a very personal level.  Only after witnessing this massive seat of power, and seeing the devastating effects of the release of that power, can I understand this event on a human level.

And that’s just it. More than anything else, this National Monument is a memorial to devastation that far exceeds the ability of the human mind to appreciate.  It is, ultimately, a memorial to human vulnerability.

When someone views his world from afar, it’s easy to see the world like a scientist, through the unadulterated lens of reason.  It is easy to ignore the emotional effect on the human psyche that the scale of certain events can have.

I was speaking to my eldest son after our tour, and we noted how this eruption was just a mediocre volcanic event in terms of planet-wide geological history. There have been many such eruptions in the past and there will likely be many more in the future.

It would be an easy matter to forget this event, scientifically speaking, except for the exellent scientific data that was gathered and the new understanding that grew out of the thorough observations that were made back then.

Yet here we were, in awe.  Because witnessing the site and the results of an event like this eruption easily breaks through to anyone’s sense of human vulnerability.  And injects in you a healthy dose of humility.

To truly understand your world you must experience that world in person.  That’s why I strongly suggest that you, too, hit the road and experience your world, perhaps for the first time.

You just might discover what the word “awe” really means.

All the best,

Hugh

Watch Your Head!

Dear Friend,

This morning I awoke to the loud buzzing sound of a sea plane as it revved it engines just meters from my bed.

You see, last night we slept at a campground and marina on the waterfront immediately across from downtown Victoria, British Columbia.

As I arose I looked out of my small window to see one of these planes begin its takeoff, bouncing along the water’s surface, and then rising so smoothly, turning away from the city waterfront, and then heading east, no doubt, towards Vancouver, which lies miles across the Georgia Straight on the Canadian mainland.

When your provincial capital lies on an island, even one nearly as large as the nation of Switzerland as this island is, the words “air” and “taxi” seem to flow together without any confusion.

Unfortunately, this morning we will be heading to the ferry that will take the Warrior and its crew to Port Angeles, Washington, and our final exit from the nation of Canada for this trip.

Canada has been fun, but now it’s time to head south for the towering trees of Redwood National Park on the Oregon-California coastline.  After walking among the giant cedars on the west coast of Vancouver Island, we can’t wait to be in the presence of more of these immense artifacts of the Pacific Rim temperate rain forest.

I’ll get with you again after we’ve transitioned back into the US.

All the best,

Hugh

A Serious Discussion on the Merits of Humor

Dear Friend,

I find that when I hang out with my kids, my maturity level goes down the toilet.

I get the greatest kick out of the same goofy toilet humor that they do, which, I suppose, is a reflection of my level of sophistication.  😉

Nevertheless, when I am around kids, I seem to take one of two possible stances, depending on my mood.

Sometimes, when I am focusing on “adult matters,” which they call boring (and generally I must agree with this conclusion), I tend to ignore their banter or find it annoying.  Certainly, there are times when acting like a seven year old is not appropriate for an adult.

At other times, when my continuing goal of getting closer to my kids is in the forefront of my mind, I may tend to let go and allow myself to have just a bit of fun.

It is the second mindset that I was in for most of today.

We had to leave the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island to venture to more populated areas and take care of urgent business (see my earlier post in this regard).  I drove for a few hours through the beautiful central island mountains.  Then my wife graciously took over those duties and I spent the rest of the evening basically goofing off with the little ones.

I try to always remember that the greatest gift that one human being can give to another is your full and complete attention.  And when I consciously do that with my children, the impact on the child in question is obvious.

They love it!

And it is difficult not to get wrapped up in whatever they are doing.  We play games together that we all enjoy.  And, I guess, we continue to bond ever closer, if that is possible.

I know that this sort of closeness (physical as well as emotional!) simply does not happen when we are at home.  Perhaps something about the act of journeying forges a unique bond that can occur in no other way.

Whatever it is, I know that my kids are growing each day, and I am determined not to regret the time I spend with them, or the manner in which I raise them.

I think that this trip has definitely contributed to strengthening our family’s ties.

To those of you who may be considering undertaking a similar journey, I advise only this.  Plan to stay out a while.  Do not make many other plans.  And make the simple act of innocent exploration truly a shared experience rather than a planned exercise.

You will together have to get over the hump of stress at the start of your effort in order to truly enjoy the benefits later on.  So don’t give up after a few rough patches.

If you have any, more specific questions about putting together a family exploration trip, just post a reply to this post and I’d be glad to elaborate.

Trust me – you will be glad you did this!

All the best,

Hugh

You Are Wrong!

Dear Friend,

I was distracted today by a vigorous “debate” that I stumbled upon on Amazon.com.  I never realized just how active the discussion groups at Amazon are, and regarding much more than books!

One such subject was the health care battle that is currently raging in Washington.  Now I am not about to chime in on that quagmire.  It was clear from what I saw that plenty of what was often rather nasty “discussion” is underway.

The reason I mention this is the fact that so much of what was being written was so ugly.  And personal.

I am not naive to the dirty nature of politics.  And I am know that this is far from a recent phenomenon.  But I was disappointed to see just how angry – or should I say, full of fear – so many of these posts were.

Fear and bitterness was everywhere.  The substantive issues, which deserved serious coverage in my opinion, were little touched on between the vitriolic acid that was being thrown in all directions.  I doubt very much whether any of these writers seriously intended to persuade the other.  What I observed looked more like a war.

Even I could see the potential for common ground between the views being expressed.  So much so that I dare say I ventured into the debate, if only to note where I thought the sides might find common ground.

Unfortunately, whatever I added was essentially ignored.  I honestly think that I was interfering with these folks’ perverse fun.

Disagreement is everywhere.  And there are as many legitimate points of view as there are people who hold them.  The real question is, can you respect another person even if his or her opinion differs from yours?  Can you recognize how your view might be seen as threatening to another if acted upon, and then try to move that view forward while making clear that you will not execute that threat, and honestly mean the other’s interests no harm?

Yes.  There are times when opposing principles cannot be compromised. However, in my experience, these moments are rare.  Therefore, I believe that most conflict of this kind is self-imposed.  People feed off of the negative energy that it generates.  And they bring down everything and everyone around them.

It is critical to understand just how destructive this kind of negative energy can be to you and your family.  If you find yourself surrounded by it, you must escape your environment.  People engaged in this kind of what is essentially self-destructive behavior will cloud the minds and hearts of all around them, no matter how sincere they may believe themselves to be.

You cannot move your life forward in the direction of your dreams when those around you are emoting this sort of destructive energy.

Who you choose to hang with really can make a huge difference in the likelihood that you will succeed at what really matters in your life.

If people like these are in your circle, even if they are family, get away from them as quickly as you can.

You cannot save them.  So save yourself and your family.

Talk to you again soon,

Hugh