A World that Belongs to Me

A few weeks ago I was given two Splash 1 sit-on-top kayaks, made by Crescent Kayaks.  This was quite a surprise and an honor because I know how much the previous owner, a good friend and mentor, has cherished these boats.  But, as I prepare to head to South Carolina, where I will try desperately to keep my head afloat in the world of graduate mathematics, opportunities for other types of floating (and paddling) will abound.  I think the idea is that the 'yaks, which have been neglected for the last decade, though obviously dearly loved, will finally get some attention.  In accepting them I feel that I am also accepting a responsibility, neigh an obligation, to provide them with this attention as often as possible. 

I think (hope) that this sense of duty will be one of the things that keeps my life in order over the next five years.  I tend to get wrapped up in my work and sometimes forget to take in the world around me.  This is not something that I regret or fear, I do it because I love it.  But, I am well aware that too much focus can hinder my productivity.  That's just the way I work, I'll sprint through it and do great for short distances.  I can even handle the 3200m at that pace.  But, the next five years...this is going to be an ultra-marathon.  I have to make sure that I know how to slow down and breathe, and I have to make to do this, else I'll get burned out before I get that "Dr." before my name!

Having the opportunity and obligation to spend time on the water away from the world that most of us live in may well be my saving grace.  I look forward to early mornings settled into my 'yak, snuggled down in a blanket of mist, watching the sunrise and waking up with a different world, a world that belongs to me.  A world where you have long conversations with Great Blue Herons and play tag with the gators (hopefully I'm always "it", but if not, that's okay).  I look forward to sharing this with family, friends that I know and will meet along the way, and maybe more importantly with myself, by myself.  This may be how I maintain my sanity, my peace, and my perspective in the years to come. 

Now, the reason for this blog...  I'm not keen on being restricted to a certain format.  I don't want my creative juices staunched.  I would much rather build a quick website, mostly because I have control issues as any who know me well can attest to.  But, I am currently in server limbo.  I will not be where I'm at long enough to try to get my account up and running, and I am not yet where I am going.  So, if I want some space on the World Wide Web, this is the easiest, quickest way to get it right now.  This is for me, to chronicle my experiences paddling and to contemplate where my thoughts take me along the way.  Maybe I'll share it with a few people, maybe the world, maybe no one.  I have not yet decided.