A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me through GoFundMe. It is heartily appreciated. We just bought plane tickets this morning for me to return to Paulatuk. Stepping up to the plate again. I meant what I said. I will schedule an exclusive talk when I get home for those who have supported this project monetarily. I’ll bring some dried fish and a few stories.
Another chapter begins soon…my right index finger is holding the page…getting ready to flip….that point where I’m hurriedly reading the last few lines of this chapter.
Projects like this one bring a lot of things into sharp clarity. Heading off into your own physical and psychological unknown is extremely demanding and is a very delicate time for a person. Beyond the monetary support…it helps to know that people out there value this work. It really helps a lot.
One of the biggest challenges and surprising outcomes, is how pushing yourself and striving to BE better…to DO better at what you do…often triggers others. As if carrying your own doubts, trepidation, risk management isn’t already enough to carry…folks who push boundaries end up unwittingly (or perhaps unwillingly) carrying the ’stuff’ of others as well.
From where I sit…It appears that the small voices of personal work left undone, perhaps their own sense of self worth, maybe a sense of their own perceived lack of accomplishments, or perhaps their own set of fears…or whatever flavor of personal ‘stuff’ that holds THEM back and limits them…also winds up on the plates of those pushing boundaries. It takes a lot of energy to hold the ‘stuff’ of others at bay. The only way to fly, is to let go. Of everything. A dear friend and climbing partner used to say ‘there is a chasm of difference between reasons and excuses.’ The excuses of others is a horrible reason to keep being a bench warmer.
As such…these last moments before liftoff always give some clarity to me. I look around at those who are able to show up in support. Unhindered by their own personal business. I appreciate those folks more than words. This is hard work. Knife-fight-in-a-phone-booth kind of hard. Those who come along in support and recognition of the work are my heros. There is hope for humanity still.
Where would humanity be if we could just simply show up for each other?
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