The Turning Point

So much has happened...

A week ago Friday, I made the decision to leave the wonderful comfort I'd found in Yarmouth and to continue on with my journey. The friendships I'd forged and the lives I'd touched, and have touched me, would remain behind, at least for now, while I continued to search for whatever it is that set me on this path in the first place. That voice that's urged me along from the beginning, still remained and I decided it was time to listen again.

I can not begin to express my gratitude to everyone who welcomed me into their hearts and their lives while I searched for meaning in my own. I will always be especially grateful to Carla. She was the first in Yarmouth to embrace me and to accept me for who I am. In her care and her presence, I felt truly special. Yarmouth, and especially the house on Cliff Street, will always signify a magical turning point in my life.

In writing my online journal, I've made every attempt to be as forthcoming as possible, often sharing many intimate details of my thoughts and emotions as I've experienced life on the road. As my most critical reader, I expect nothing less, and as the author, I feel an obligation to continue sharing openly and accurately as I have from the beginning, however difficult that may be for some of those looking on. So, here goes...

On Tuesday, I'll be riding the Cat from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia across to Bar Harbor, Maine.

Last night I awoke to the sound of raccoons chattering in the woods not far from the tent. M was sleeping soundly, bundled up in her sleeping bag next to me. Thoughts about what had happened, and what was to come, were flooding my head and I needed to get it down on paper, or at least try. My decision to leave Nova Scotia and to draw my Canada experience to a conclusion, was fueled largely by my experiences with her. We met only eight days ago, but have formed a very tight bond and friendship. She'd already planned to take the Cat and tour New England and, in addition to wanting to continue on with her, the offer to ride along was too tempting to pass up. We're now travelling back to Yarmouth from Liverpool, she's hitchhiking as she's done since arriving in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and I'm cycling as usual. We're meeting at Carter's Beach as soon as I get away from this computer and back on the road. She got a ride in Liverpool about thirty seconds after we said goodbye.

Act Three is hopefully setting up a wonderful conclusion to this saga.

Only time will tell...

Cheers

~B

I'm in Liverpool...

...and there's not a single Beatle in sight! Well, I am still in Nova Scotia afterall.

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'll be pausing in the area for a few days to take stock and decide in which direction my compass points. I've learned so much on this adventure and have met so many wonderful people. My journey has always been more about the journey than it ever was about the destination. At some point Forrest stopped running and just went on with his life. Am I there yet? A little more time will tell.

A special thanks to Jan and Conrad for their wonderful hospitality and friendship. Here's a link to a small album of my brief stay with them.

Cheers! ~B

Act Three

Click the photo to enlarge

The Saint Christopher medal is a thoughtful gift from a very dear friend.

First Camp - On the Outskirts of Yarmouth









Second Camp - An East Pubnico Cemetary

The Three Questions

My friend Sarah loaned me her copy of The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth. It's an illustrated book based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy. The story goes...

"There was once a boy named Nikolai who sometimes felt uncertain about the right way to act." He wanted to be a good person, but was unsure how to accomplish his goal. Nikolai had three important questions...

- When is the best time to do things?

- Who is the most important one?

- What is the right thing to do?

"If only I could find the answers to my three questions, then I would always know what to do." Nikolai, asked his three best friends, Sonya the Heron, Gogol the Monkey,and Pushkin the Dog, the three questions. Unfortunately he got conflicting and confusing advice from his friends. Recognizing their limitations in advising him, Nikolai sought out the advise of the wise old turtle Leo. "He has lived a very long time. Surely he will know the answers I am looking for". The turtle never answers him directly, but when a storm comes up and two Panda bears are in danger, Nikolai dashes to their aid without a thought for himself. In his action to help the bears, he finds answers. This is a gentle tale, told well. Muth's illustrations are graceful and elegant, and beautifully enhance the many moods of the story. Based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy, who is probably best-known for War and Peace and Anna Karenina, The Three Questions succeeds in getting children to think of being in of service to others, and to realize that, contrary to what advertisers would have us believe, life isn't about getting; it's about doing.*

In pondering the three questions, Nicolai became transfixed on finding meaning based on what seemed most relevant to him. In doing so, he became focused on himself. When Leo, the old turtle, became tired working on his garden, Nicolai offered to take over, sparing the old turtle the burden of digging with the heavy shovel, and when the Panda's were found to be in danger, Nicolai sprung into action to rescue the bears. In doing all this, he found great satisfaction and tranquility within himself. The three questions, on which he'd been previously transfixed, disappeared into the mist of his contentment. In helping others, the questions about himself no longer mattered.

It's a wonderful book. I was just chatting with my sister Amy and she told me that she has it for her girls. Here's Amy (she's going to kill me for this!).

The moments and periods of my life when I've felt the most alive and connected to my rightful place in the universe have been when I've offered myself in service to others. When I'm making breakfast for Carla or her couch surfers, when I'm teaching photography to my students in Vermont, when I'm babysitting my nieces, and especially many years ago when I was nurturing and caring for my own children. The act of service is so central to the core of my identity. When I'm connected to others through service, I excel. The times when I've felt that my service was being squandered and not contributing to improving the condition of the planet, I've felt "out of sync". A good example of this is when I worked in the automobile business. If I did a good job, the owner of the dealership might be able to acquire a nicer collection of snowmobiles - not my idea of contributing to the greater good. In finding the right place to serve, where I'm needed most, I will have found my home. Of this I am certain.

Anyway, that's it. Great book, great lesson.

Cheers!

~B

*Partially excerpted from various Amazon reviews

Torn

Can anyone recommend a good genetics lab? I need five copies of myself to leave behind with various people. I will of course need to keep the original so I can make additional copies as the need arises. ~B

More Photos!!!

Click here for The Great Frog Safari Photo Album

Click here for the Nova Scotia Misc Photo Album

It's Go Time...

On Sunday, August 31st at 10am, I roll - Act Three begins.

I'm updating my CouchSurfing profile as we speak so I'll be meeting people along the way instead of being the solitary cyclist. The most likely scenario, at this moment, is that I'll head out along the South Shore, then up through Halifax and on into Cape Breton and points unknown! Well, actually it's all on the map and I guess the people who live there know about it ;-)

That's the plan anyway. Stay tuned....

~B