Shouting from my shed

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Take a Seat

My friend Dom Gill cycled from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, the full length of the Americas (and the span that I feel has to be done in order to say you’ve done the job properly). The twist to his ride was that he was on a tandem… alone!

He filmed his journey, and all the passengers he picked up along the way. It was screened on ITV4 last week but you can watch the show again for the next few weeks here.

I did not film my ride so I enjoyed travelling vicariously with Dom. We travelled pretty much the same route through the Americas (though in opposite directions) so there were plenty of familiar landmarks for me.
More importantly though was the reminder of all the wonderful, varied, fun, kind people I met on my journey, much as Dom does. It’s worth a watch.

Dom has also kindly allowed me to post some of his writing on my site. Here’s some thoughts on music, motivation and inspiration.


“It’s fairly easy to waste time sitting at home, trying to write a book. I look over my shoulder and there are some dishes to do. While doing the dishes I see an ant exploring the side board next to the cooker. I’mve named him Herman – he comes to visit regularly and up to now he hasn’t come with any of his friends, a good arrangement; a little ant friend without having an infestation is good company, if a little quiet.

If I don’t have dishes to wash there’s email to check, or just music to listen to a little more attentively. Today the music won out and I sat listening to High Hopes, the last track on the Division Bell album of Pink Floyd. That was it, I was gripped by it, writing went out of the window as I realised David Gilmore was singing about something I think about a lot: where people’s ambition goes as they get older. Not everyone, but a lot of us, lose it. But very few of us actually lose the yearning to achieve those now distant dreams.

“beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun”

I remember the division bell ringing loudly for me just before my twelfth birthday. I woke up and realised I didn’t want to get any closer to dying! A bit strong for a twelve year old, but I couldn’t help it!

“Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There’s a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we’ve been so many times”

My eyes certainly seem to scan the horizon constantly, searching for something to quench the thirst for more adventure I can absorb myself in and convince myself is worthwhile. The thing is, the encumbrance of desire and ambition seems to get stronger, heavier each time a goal is achieved! How does one just become content with what one has done? I’mm dying to find out….literally.”

Listen to Pink Floyds’ High Hopes here:

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Comments

  1. dean Hughes Posted

    Thank you for sharing so many other people’s adventures. It is very selfless of you and it makes your blog really interesting. Thank you.

    Reply

 
 

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