The true value of the dream lies in the journey.
The dream is from the heart. It is the fuel that pushes us on and helps us overcome the inevitable brick walls and bumps in the road to fulfilling the dream. The dream is the first thought before you open your eyes in the morning.
T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
The dream is incapable of seeing the brick walls, it is the fuel that helps you overcome the walls. It is the journey over or around the obstaacles that gives the dream strength, and gives the soul the resolve to continue.
I sat at the bar in my own yacht club with a man who asked me what is the value in these voyages. So much energy and resources go into them. What is there to show for it? He is right about the energy and resources. I have put my whole life into their pursuit. But the value can never be calculated. It is priceless. The value is all the people I have met, and the many thousands I have not. The ones I’ve reached out to and touched along the way, and the thousands who have come to my aid and comforted me. These people are what make our dreams uniquely human.
What value do we put on life? What value do we put on dreams? Among the most powerful words in world …” I have a dream”. How many of us can hear Martin Luther King shout out these words from deep within his heart. Even typing them brings a lump to my throat. Our dreams are to be shared, to encourage the dreams of others. The triumph of success and the agony of defeat, these define the human experience.There will always be those who experience both.
I have not realized any of my dreams or the goals that I originally set out for myself, but, in the failure to meet those lofty dreams, I have gained much more than I could ever have imagined.
These past months, we have sailed the high-seas with you, we have reveled in the exquisite descriptions of incredible sights and experiences. We have dreamt that we were there with you! You have encouraged our dreams. You have spurred us on to greater things. You have challenged us to be better people. You have enriched our lives.
It has been said, “There is no shame in failure, only in not trying”. To succeed with little effort bypasses a depth of learning that failure simply does not. Failures force us to gather all the strength within us to carry on – to search, to probe, to ponder in great depth. Failure forces us to search for that knowledge that was destined to be ours. Failures can force the purging of the character and the soul of lofty arrogance and vain pride. Humility through failure is of great value. Making sound decisions in the face of failure shows strength of character that success does not.
There is no shame in what appears to be a failure, my dear man, even though our wish for you always was to succeed. You have encouraged and inspired hundreds of us to the possibilities of lofty dreams – and enlightened us with the agonies of failure. You have touched our hearts with honest, frank emotions while grappling with yet another unfulfilled dream. You have encouraged us with the bond you have with your wife, to remind us that relationships can be fragile but a strong relationship with a kindred spirit is a priceless gift.
Hold your head high! What appears to be a failure was in fact a journey of enlightenment for all of us.
Neil
Victoria, B.C.
Thank you for those kind words Neil. I’ve sent them to Glenn. It’s fascinating to hear how his journey has impacted you as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. ML
Day 123 The Journey
Well said, Glenn. You are an inspiration to us dreamers.
Wayne
Beautifully said Glenn. I’ve been following you & have looked forward to the daily reports. My offshore days may be over, but your voyage reminds me of so many emotions that we have experienced at sea. And you still have to find your way home!
Very Good Thank you for sharing,& for wiping the cob webs from my eyes.I hope when the repairs are done you will carry on & finish your voyage.Wayne Dunsmuir
This blog is the first thing I look for every morning. It starts my day with a surge of awe ( or sometimes fear depending on the conditions!). I’m inspired by your mental and physical strength, Glenn, and by your unwavering commitment, Mary Lou. I’m proud to call you both friends.
I’m so glad to see you recognize the value of your experience – even if the original goal will not be met. You might also say “The true value of the journey lies in the dream”
Right on Glenn and for those who don’t understand what you say let them move on in their own way. Daryl
My dear friend Glenn, my heart goes out to you, and did upon hearing the first report about the compromised rig. I knew that the goal of non-stop solo was over, but I thought that somehow, magically, you would finish the trip. Your subsequent posts revealed the reality, and it has slowly been absorbed into my brain that the trip will be over when you get to Freemantle. As you have said, the journey often takes us to places we never thought about, and in your writing, I see a marvellous new place. It is said that hardship makes philosophers out of all of us, not the hardships (from my perspective) that you face every day at sea as much as the mental and emotional hardships you are now facing as you approach port; these hardships have given your writing a lift to a whole new level. I have watched the transition from excellent travelogue to truly inspiring words that help me live my life much more consciously and fully, and I thank you for that. I tore my achilles last July, and my motorcycling summer was over with the sound of a loud pop. I had tears in my eyes as friends rode my bikes away: your words make me realize what a small piece of my life it really is, and to find value in what the following 6 months have brought. I look forward to being able to talk to you in person: I also look forward to reading the book! Brenda and I both send our love and best wishes for the journey ahead. Stay well, my friend, love, Michael
Thank you for Day 128 “Dreams.” I feel for you, Glenn, in these most trying days and wish you well for the rest of the journey.
I am as impressed today with your determination and many strengths as I was at age 17 when I met you in the logging camp in Port McNeil where we both worked.
Dear Wakefields
“The crime is not in choosing a goal and failing to reach it but in not choosing a goal high enough in the first place” ……….Tristan Jones
Congratulations to both of you for the dream, the commitment to it, the creation of of it and the sharing of it. You can never know how many heart’s courses have been altered by your effrots…………
Dear Glenn
Such profound words you expressed in today’s journal have surely touched the core of every fans’ heart as they did mine. Your insight may well serve to inspire a future generation of sailors and dreamers to believe “Yes, they can!” Ellie Dufresne
Glenn and MaryLou, so true. Jim