The Illusion of Control
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller As a kid in the mid 1980s I read dozens […]
Just asking (Life Choice Evangelists and beautiful questions)
A strange realisation came to me a couple of years ago. There are very few people on this planet from whom I actively seek advice about personal decisions. I can count those people on the fingers of one hand, and still have a thumb spare. It’s not for lack of friends or confidants, or for […]
What does easy get me?
First a riddle: What is easy to get into, but hard to get out of? Give up? … Trouble! Now, how about the reverse: What is hard to get into, but easy to get out of? A good answer to that question might be ‘the mental state of flow’. Flow is usually thought of as […]
A new beginning
1st January 2019 found me in a flophouse motel in a border town in northern Mexico. I rested my weary bones after the mad dash across the canyonlands of south west USA in winter. Between naps and tacos, I reflected on my last four years on the road and thought about the goals I have […]
If this trip has taught me anything
1. When in doubt, stop and eat something. 2. If it can leak, it will leak. Always eat the whole chocolate bar. Keep your toothbrush away from your sunscreen. 3. You’ll never regret carrying more teabags than you think you need. Ditto puncture patches. 4. Everybody has their own style of cycle touring, to each their […]