I have started reading a book „Soul Seat and Survival on the Pacific Creat Trail” by Bob Holtel (ISBN 1-55306-302-3). This is the story about Bob Holtel’s solo run of the Pacific Crest Trail in 1985.
The section where he talks about “why” begins with the follow text, which some of you may have seen before:
Risk
To reach out is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return;
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair; To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing
He may avoid suffering and sorrow but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live…
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave
He has forfeited freedom
Only a person who risks is free
- Anonymous
I generally am not a big risk taker, I tend to avoid leaving my “comfort zone” in many aspects of my life. As I approach midlife (crisis?) I ponder sometimes if I shouldn’t take more risk – I don’t look forward to waking up one day and discovering it is “too late”.
I think this thinking has been fuelling my running lately, I want to go as far as I can before injury or the natural aging process slow me down.
What about you, are you feeling “free”?
"Free" - sometimes. But I will say (as I told my boss yesterday) that as I have gotten older, I worry less about what other people think or how I might look. And that is pretty liberating.
I'm getting better about risks for myself, but not so good about seeing my children take risks. Though I must say, that doesn't stop them! I'm not talking about dumb, teenage boy type risks, I'm talking about the usual life stuff - my older son deciding to live on his own and support himself at 18, deciding to go on a solo backpacking trip this summer (at 19) for two weeks. He's competent and careful, but I worry. I like the quote though, it reminds me to let go.
It's a great book for sure, I read it a couple of years back.
Have fun and enjoy!
not only is a person who risks free, but I've found that taking risks actually makes me safer.
Risk? Isn't that the one where you try to capture Kamchatka?
But, yeah - I'm actually starting to feel more free. Life is good.
As I understand here he says we are always on risk anyway. Then sometimes you don't even know you are on risk.
Making the right choises is what makes me free, not the risk...
Running makes me feel free too.
I'll keep thinking of it, it is a nice post!
cool quote, thanks jack.
nice post jack. wouldn't you count your ultras as taking a risk? I think you're a gutsy guy.
(Oh and nice blog makeover too! Excellent job!)
First - good luck tomorrow (today already for you)!
And free? Yes. I do feel that way...which is how I found the courage to go back to school. And shoot for a BQ this year.
Thanks for the quote...it's been awhile since I've seen it.