A Journey has many Paths
Obviously, it is not the next day but a couple of weeks since the last blog. Letting go of the Drava/Mura swim is difficult, as if keeping from writing the final blog keeps the swim from being done. The journey was inspiring, energizing and rewarding. Why would I want it to be over? Last week my father made a single sentence statement about the turmoil in today’s world and I offered a rebuttal. Usually he considers me negative because I often complain about my disappointment with those in power lacking social/environmental responsibility. Overall, I am an optimist. The world is a continual balance of good and evil, greed and generosity, love and hate. Yes, I believe it is badly out of balance, but the Drava/Mura/Danube swim was concrete proof that the majority of people are good, generous and loving. It was concrete proof that whatever hell Earth and its inhabitants are going through, cannot and will not last. We will prevail…good will prevail. I know this to be true. It was in the eyes and acts of everyone we met along the river.
David Reeder was an incredibly blessed man. He gave himself to the people and the environment. Was he born with a heart of gold or did it evolve from his selfless hard work? What a legacy he left behind and what a model he was and is for all of us. He brought hundreds of people together in life and even more in his death. At the Danube Days festival in Backi Monostor, people were everywhere honoring each other’s work and celebrating David’s life. It was awesome! I wanted the night to last forever…
However, it did not, and here I am sitting in my room at home wishing I was there fighting as David did for all that is good and right and beautiful. Sitting here, but wishing I was walking along Sonja’s trail with all of you, discussing future plans while staring in awe at our uniquely pure surroundings. Helena, Kelsey and I threw flowers into the Drava/Mura at the sight where, less than a year ago, David’s ashes were thrown. Then I swam the path of his ashes to the Danube River. It was a magnificent journey, down the most beautiful river. I thank each of you for sharing in vision of the swim and supporting the mission. It was an honor to be a part of it. I can only imagine how David felt.
The swim is over but the journey has only just started. Where will it lead?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
For Goodness SNAKES!
For Goodness SNAKES!
Waking up at 4am on July 4th, with hazy vision and the minimal light of daybreak, the luminescent nameplates over the window glowing “Mimi and Forrest” were barely visable. Where am I? What country? What village? A pension, hotel, house? How far do I swim today? What am I seeing? My name? Tree’s name? How? Huh? A dream? My brain and eyes begin focusing. I am in my bedroom, home. It feels good, and it feels even better to know it is ok to go back to sleep. The river is not waiting for us today.
The Mura/Drava swim is finished. An incredible journey that celebrated and fostered the human traits most revered by our creator. Fueled by curiosity, compassion and concern, individuals, village people, schoolchildren and the casual river rat came to the riverbank to offer emotional support, drink, food and whatever diverse specialty they possessed. Environmentalists offered their time on the river to help promote the issues endangering the surrounding ecosystems. A mission of positive human spirit accomplished with a message that continues to spread like the arms of a river.
While swimming for hours, I usually ponder what to write about in my blog. It is not difficult to find the subject, so the time is spent deciding on just the right wording. It is optimistic to believe there will be internet at our destination to actually write the blog, but it is still a part of my swimming routine. Now, at home on a computer, I have 20 days of blogs but know no one will actually sit down to read the whole thing. So, I will simply highlight parts of the swim. You can email with questions and I will answer them.
Goodness Snakes! Everyone always asks about seeing animals while I swim. Fish! I see fish…usually that is all. The day after landing in Koprivnica, Croatia, I encountered the dreaded SNAKE! It all happened so fast there was no time to adjust my stroke or have one. With my face in the water, the snake passed 5 inches under my body. It was swimming upstream and literally passed between my eyes, under my nose, between my breast, under my bellybutton and down my legs. I did not break my stroke and actually touched the end of its body as if scooting it along. We were equally surprised, but after three cups of coffee, my heart was surely beating the fastest. I wondered how it relayed the story to its friends.
Helena, with the Drava League, did a tremendous job establishing the itinerary for the swim. She coordinated all of the stopping points and the lodging through Croatia. The success of the swim was dependent on her hard work. She is an amazing woman as is her whole family. They are the rare breed of people you meet and feel you’ve known forever, who enrich the lives of the people they encounter without even trying. Their relationship to the community reminded me of the closeness of the Whistlestop community in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”.
Bernard Wieser and Klaus Michor were instrumental in securing our intinerary through Austria and sections of Slovenia. Bernard stayed with us behind the scenes until he was assured we were OK and in the hands of the next person. Thanks to Bernard and Stanka, out trip down the Mura was effective and fun! A multitude of people rode in rafts as I swam and Kelsey canoed the Mura through Austria, Slovenia and into Croatia. Stanka is another wonderfully dedicated and compassionate woman to whom Kelsey and I are gratefully indebted. It is my loss if I never make the opportunity to see her again.
Gernot and Judith with Kajak Austria were FUN! They challenged us with cold water, white water and dead water. Judith was the poor soul that accompanied us through a dam dead section. She was in a whitewater kajak so had to work extra hard.
The donations of my friends eased the financial burden of the mission. I will write each of you later with information of your section of the river. Lara Bar donated bars for Kelsey and me. We both ate them on the river when there was no place to stop and eat, and we ate them when there was nothing vegetarian to eat. Quintana Roo wetsuits kept me warm and alive. They also served as padding during the first couple days of the swim when we had whitewater and boulders to challenge us. Perhaps my hip would be broken if not for the padding of my wetsuit.
Tomorrow I will blog the story of the end of the swim…the land mines, the documentary and the people that David Reeder managed to bring together even in his death!
Be the change, mimi
Waking up at 4am on July 4th, with hazy vision and the minimal light of daybreak, the luminescent nameplates over the window glowing “Mimi and Forrest” were barely visable. Where am I? What country? What village? A pension, hotel, house? How far do I swim today? What am I seeing? My name? Tree’s name? How? Huh? A dream? My brain and eyes begin focusing. I am in my bedroom, home. It feels good, and it feels even better to know it is ok to go back to sleep. The river is not waiting for us today.
The Mura/Drava swim is finished. An incredible journey that celebrated and fostered the human traits most revered by our creator. Fueled by curiosity, compassion and concern, individuals, village people, schoolchildren and the casual river rat came to the riverbank to offer emotional support, drink, food and whatever diverse specialty they possessed. Environmentalists offered their time on the river to help promote the issues endangering the surrounding ecosystems. A mission of positive human spirit accomplished with a message that continues to spread like the arms of a river.
While swimming for hours, I usually ponder what to write about in my blog. It is not difficult to find the subject, so the time is spent deciding on just the right wording. It is optimistic to believe there will be internet at our destination to actually write the blog, but it is still a part of my swimming routine. Now, at home on a computer, I have 20 days of blogs but know no one will actually sit down to read the whole thing. So, I will simply highlight parts of the swim. You can email with questions and I will answer them.
Goodness Snakes! Everyone always asks about seeing animals while I swim. Fish! I see fish…usually that is all. The day after landing in Koprivnica, Croatia, I encountered the dreaded SNAKE! It all happened so fast there was no time to adjust my stroke or have one. With my face in the water, the snake passed 5 inches under my body. It was swimming upstream and literally passed between my eyes, under my nose, between my breast, under my bellybutton and down my legs. I did not break my stroke and actually touched the end of its body as if scooting it along. We were equally surprised, but after three cups of coffee, my heart was surely beating the fastest. I wondered how it relayed the story to its friends.
Helena, with the Drava League, did a tremendous job establishing the itinerary for the swim. She coordinated all of the stopping points and the lodging through Croatia. The success of the swim was dependent on her hard work. She is an amazing woman as is her whole family. They are the rare breed of people you meet and feel you’ve known forever, who enrich the lives of the people they encounter without even trying. Their relationship to the community reminded me of the closeness of the Whistlestop community in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”.
Bernard Wieser and Klaus Michor were instrumental in securing our intinerary through Austria and sections of Slovenia. Bernard stayed with us behind the scenes until he was assured we were OK and in the hands of the next person. Thanks to Bernard and Stanka, out trip down the Mura was effective and fun! A multitude of people rode in rafts as I swam and Kelsey canoed the Mura through Austria, Slovenia and into Croatia. Stanka is another wonderfully dedicated and compassionate woman to whom Kelsey and I are gratefully indebted. It is my loss if I never make the opportunity to see her again.
Gernot and Judith with Kajak Austria were FUN! They challenged us with cold water, white water and dead water. Judith was the poor soul that accompanied us through a dam dead section. She was in a whitewater kajak so had to work extra hard.
The donations of my friends eased the financial burden of the mission. I will write each of you later with information of your section of the river. Lara Bar donated bars for Kelsey and me. We both ate them on the river when there was no place to stop and eat, and we ate them when there was nothing vegetarian to eat. Quintana Roo wetsuits kept me warm and alive. They also served as padding during the first couple days of the swim when we had whitewater and boulders to challenge us. Perhaps my hip would be broken if not for the padding of my wetsuit.
Tomorrow I will blog the story of the end of the swim…the land mines, the documentary and the people that David Reeder managed to bring together even in his death!
Be the change, mimi
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Phish
Andreas interviewed me about my experiences in the Danube and what the river was like. Unfortunately, I cannot answer questions about what is beyond the riverfront because unless there are hills, I do not see anything but the backdrop. It is like a Hollywood movie set...or like driving through the country around Gadsden, Alabama. There is logging there, awful clearcutting, but the company follows the laws and leaves a fifteen foot road frontage of trees. People think it is kind of them but it is not! If they cut trees down right up to the road, people would see what a mess they are making of once beautiful land. The shame and ugliness would surely anger them. But, they do not see, and they do not leave their cars to look beyond the trees to the damage that is being done to the streams, creeks, rivers, wildlife habitats and a multitude of other environmental catastrophies that result from irresponsible land use. Nature is an abstraction to them...like an algebraic equation that cannot be shown with blocks or an abacus.
When I swim the river, I am like the person in the car in that I cannot see beyond the river front, but I am WAY DIFFERENT. When I swim, the river is no abstraction. It is concrete, a literal example of what is going on beyond the river front. In the water, I hear the pebbles tinkling along the bottom of the river, traveling fast or slow depending on the current and depth of the water. In dead, dammed water, they do not move. Usually this tinkling is the first thing that informs me the water is getting faster and rapids may be approaching. When we near a dam, I often know before the people in the kajaks because I can hear the whirring of the generators, a sound imperceivable to people above the water. In the water, I can hear a boat approaching and make a determination of its size and speed. Barges have a slow, deep pitch. In the water I can make determinations about the water through its smell. If companies and corporations are dumping, I know it first. If animal farms are not being responsible and allowing feces and urine to go into the river I can smell it in the water even when people in the boats cannot. The taste? Well, that can be scary. Sometimes it tastes sweet, that is not good. It suggests dangerous chemicals. Sometimes stuff sticks to my teeth and makes them feel fuzzy. It is not a healthy fuzz. Sometimes my gums and mouth hurt from the water...chemicals. I can judge the turbidity of the water every stroke I take. How soon can I see my hand as I complete my swim pull? The particles in the water are visible to me through my goggles, and in my swimsuit at the end of the day. I know when there is good flow from the temperature changes and when there is a nuclear or coal power plant from the HOT (usually too hot) water. I know the river through all of my senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling and smelling.
If a river and it's watershed are not treated responsibly, the water does not lie. The general public may not notice it because those that choose money or power over responsible social-environmental stewardship do their best to keep it hidden.
That is unfortunate because our waterways are our circulatory system. They bond us together as a people, as a world. If they are not taken care of from the smallest stream, it eventually effects us all. This, the river tells me, and the river does not lie.
When I swim the river, I am like the person in the car in that I cannot see beyond the river front, but I am WAY DIFFERENT. When I swim, the river is no abstraction. It is concrete, a literal example of what is going on beyond the river front. In the water, I hear the pebbles tinkling along the bottom of the river, traveling fast or slow depending on the current and depth of the water. In dead, dammed water, they do not move. Usually this tinkling is the first thing that informs me the water is getting faster and rapids may be approaching. When we near a dam, I often know before the people in the kajaks because I can hear the whirring of the generators, a sound imperceivable to people above the water. In the water, I can hear a boat approaching and make a determination of its size and speed. Barges have a slow, deep pitch. In the water I can make determinations about the water through its smell. If companies and corporations are dumping, I know it first. If animal farms are not being responsible and allowing feces and urine to go into the river I can smell it in the water even when people in the boats cannot. The taste? Well, that can be scary. Sometimes it tastes sweet, that is not good. It suggests dangerous chemicals. Sometimes stuff sticks to my teeth and makes them feel fuzzy. It is not a healthy fuzz. Sometimes my gums and mouth hurt from the water...chemicals. I can judge the turbidity of the water every stroke I take. How soon can I see my hand as I complete my swim pull? The particles in the water are visible to me through my goggles, and in my swimsuit at the end of the day. I know when there is good flow from the temperature changes and when there is a nuclear or coal power plant from the HOT (usually too hot) water. I know the river through all of my senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling and smelling.
If a river and it's watershed are not treated responsibly, the water does not lie. The general public may not notice it because those that choose money or power over responsible social-environmental stewardship do their best to keep it hidden.
That is unfortunate because our waterways are our circulatory system. They bond us together as a people, as a world. If they are not taken care of from the smallest stream, it eventually effects us all. This, the river tells me, and the river does not lie.
Too quick of an update.....
The Isel river was beautifully cold and painful but the start took place with a castle in the background. One of these days I shall come to Europe to see the sights outside of the water. I did not view the castle up closely but did managed to get a real close look or rather FEEL of a boulder conveniently placed in my path. I really thought it was at least cracked but thank goodness after a few days in ice water, all is well. There is not even a bruise large enough to call a sourvenir. Somewhere about the time my hip was smashed, my foot received some damage that went unnoticed until I finished for the day, and it cooled off. It had an egg sized lump that was also relieved by a few days in the ice water. Ice water is great stuff...effective for preventing and significantly reducing inflammation.
OK enough whinning about me...The LIFE Projekt was phenonmenal. To see a rebirthing of a section of the river was moving. I had to wait up river a few hundred meters until the new arm was opened. Kelsey and I enjoyed fresh apple struedel with Marion until he received the call to swim. While waiting a heard a HUGE BOOM and wondered if Bush had misfired, but it was just the dynamite from the Projekt. The call came and I swam into the channel...the first! It was a little scary but heartwarming too. Kelsey was yelling for me to wait because a bulldozer was still moving rocks but the current said...GO,GO, GO. We were met by concerned politicians, townspeople and school children. After an hour, it was time for us to leave for our next stop. Thomas and Richard, director and photographer of a documentary on the projekt followed us for a while and later met us for a beer and dinner. Thomas did a documentary on windsurfing the Berring Strait so we had a lot to talk about in addition to the LIFE Projekt and Drava-Mura-Danube mission.
A fireman, Wolfgang, accompanied me from the Life Projekt to our stopping point. It was fun. The water was wild until we came within 6km of the dam and then it stopped. It was like we entered the Twilight Zone. We went under a bridge and on the other side the water did not move without a strong arm pull. At the end, we had champaign and flowers from supporters.
Judith from Kajak AT kajaked with us one day. It was hard work for her in a whitewater kajak on dead water. The rain was not too fun for her or Kelsey but ice cream at the AnnaBruke Gasthof afterwards made it all OK. We totally enjoyed her company and sense of humor. Her English is great. I asked if she was as funny in German and she said, "Probably not". I find that hard to believe. Judith is some kajaker. If anzone knows some tough places in the US for her to tackle, let me know.
Yesterdaz we went through HELL at a DAM. It took over two hours to get around the blasted thing. Readers Digest condensed version...out on the right...no the left...up a path...onto a road, up a hill, through a gate, through a hedge, over a gate, over a fence, down a steep hill, through a gravel lot, through a large meadow, back through the gravel lot, down a road, along a retaining wall with bushes and snakes, backwards on the retaining wall, up a steep road, down a gravel path, across a gravel lot, down a gravel hill, through the woods with stinging nettles and ANTS down an embankment slipping and slidding on rocks...down a rock wall into the water...then back to the gravel lot to help the guy that wanted to go with us with his raft. Remember, Kelsez was hauling the kajak, well over a hundred pounds by herself most of the way. We also had to help this guy with his stuff. It was nice to have his company but he can go home and rest his muscles...we have to do it again the next day and the next and the next...We had ice cream for dinner.
Today I met Borut after not seeing him for a couple of years. It was great to see him and exchange stories of the Danube and the Amazon swim. He is so personable, funny and supportive. We ate dinner with Katja and her family. Her cousin, Primesh is meeting us tomorrow and is going to swim with me...he says he must wear fins. Borut is kajaking with Kelsey. Before the swim, I am speaking to a group of school children. We will finsih in Maribor tomorrow. A power company is accompanying us for a few kilometers tomorrow too. So much is going on...I wish we had room for a laptop so I knew there would be access to the internet.
I have so much I want to say about my experiences with the river and its waters. My perpective is unique and never as people suspect. My mind has ruminated on this subject for days and when it is put into words, I want them to effectively express my thoughts.
Keep in touch, mimi
OK enough whinning about me...The LIFE Projekt was phenonmenal. To see a rebirthing of a section of the river was moving. I had to wait up river a few hundred meters until the new arm was opened. Kelsey and I enjoyed fresh apple struedel with Marion until he received the call to swim. While waiting a heard a HUGE BOOM and wondered if Bush had misfired, but it was just the dynamite from the Projekt. The call came and I swam into the channel...the first! It was a little scary but heartwarming too. Kelsey was yelling for me to wait because a bulldozer was still moving rocks but the current said...GO,GO, GO. We were met by concerned politicians, townspeople and school children. After an hour, it was time for us to leave for our next stop. Thomas and Richard, director and photographer of a documentary on the projekt followed us for a while and later met us for a beer and dinner. Thomas did a documentary on windsurfing the Berring Strait so we had a lot to talk about in addition to the LIFE Projekt and Drava-Mura-Danube mission.
A fireman, Wolfgang, accompanied me from the Life Projekt to our stopping point. It was fun. The water was wild until we came within 6km of the dam and then it stopped. It was like we entered the Twilight Zone. We went under a bridge and on the other side the water did not move without a strong arm pull. At the end, we had champaign and flowers from supporters.
Judith from Kajak AT kajaked with us one day. It was hard work for her in a whitewater kajak on dead water. The rain was not too fun for her or Kelsey but ice cream at the AnnaBruke Gasthof afterwards made it all OK. We totally enjoyed her company and sense of humor. Her English is great. I asked if she was as funny in German and she said, "Probably not". I find that hard to believe. Judith is some kajaker. If anzone knows some tough places in the US for her to tackle, let me know.
Yesterdaz we went through HELL at a DAM. It took over two hours to get around the blasted thing. Readers Digest condensed version...out on the right...no the left...up a path...onto a road, up a hill, through a gate, through a hedge, over a gate, over a fence, down a steep hill, through a gravel lot, through a large meadow, back through the gravel lot, down a road, along a retaining wall with bushes and snakes, backwards on the retaining wall, up a steep road, down a gravel path, across a gravel lot, down a gravel hill, through the woods with stinging nettles and ANTS down an embankment slipping and slidding on rocks...down a rock wall into the water...then back to the gravel lot to help the guy that wanted to go with us with his raft. Remember, Kelsez was hauling the kajak, well over a hundred pounds by herself most of the way. We also had to help this guy with his stuff. It was nice to have his company but he can go home and rest his muscles...we have to do it again the next day and the next and the next...We had ice cream for dinner.
Today I met Borut after not seeing him for a couple of years. It was great to see him and exchange stories of the Danube and the Amazon swim. He is so personable, funny and supportive. We ate dinner with Katja and her family. Her cousin, Primesh is meeting us tomorrow and is going to swim with me...he says he must wear fins. Borut is kajaking with Kelsey. Before the swim, I am speaking to a group of school children. We will finsih in Maribor tomorrow. A power company is accompanying us for a few kilometers tomorrow too. So much is going on...I wish we had room for a laptop so I knew there would be access to the internet.
I have so much I want to say about my experiences with the river and its waters. My perpective is unique and never as people suspect. My mind has ruminated on this subject for days and when it is put into words, I want them to effectively express my thoughts.
Keep in touch, mimi
Sunday, June 3, 2007
And We're Off...
Ah, there is so much to say, but we only have five minutes.
We had a marvelous time on the Mura. So many people came out to support us and share in the belief our rivers should flow freely. The Mura is so beautiful. If more people came to the river to sit, watch and listen the world would be a better place. People would be calmer and our rivers would be wilder! The people along the Mura in Austria, Slovenia and Croatia are dedicated to the health of the Mura and FUN! When Kelsey and her group flipped the canoe, there was laughter, but we did not let them see! At least not until Kelsey was warm and dry. Actually she was more worried that she could not get back into the USA with a wet and messy passport to reunite with her boyfiend. Ah, young love!
Tomorrow we start the Drava. It looks REALLY, REALLY cold, but I am not going to touch it until I jump in. What difference will it make how cold it is? Kelsey is concerned for the whitewater and boulders a few hundred kilometers downstream from our starting point. She is afraid her touring kajak will not make it. She wants to make sure the passports are going to be kept dry. I told her to call her boyfriend and make sure he will still love her with a head injury. She told me to be quiet because I am at that age where it is easy to break a hip. Teasing and laughter can be good stress reducers. It will be fine!
We found out a couple of days ago that at the end of the Drava, it is not the raw sewage that is dangerous but the mines. When Arno said that, I assumed he meant chemicals as a result of mining. He did not. He meant MINES...boom, boom. After the Homeland War with Serbia and Croatia, as in ALL wars, there were many undenotated bombs. We need to be careful we do not detonate any of them as we swim through that section of the Drava. There are usually warning signs, but Arno said he was trapsing around the riverbank and came upon a stick without a sign. It was stressful finding his way out of the area. I get a picture of him on tippy toes easing his way back to his car. Well, I was told when swimming the Tennessee River not to stand up in Moccasin Bend due to poisoning from WWII. As then, I do not plan to stand up while swimming through the mines.
I have been too long, thanks for all of your support. Please remember that the majority of ALL people are kind, compassionate and supportive of a clean, healthy environment. Live on....mimi
We had a marvelous time on the Mura. So many people came out to support us and share in the belief our rivers should flow freely. The Mura is so beautiful. If more people came to the river to sit, watch and listen the world would be a better place. People would be calmer and our rivers would be wilder! The people along the Mura in Austria, Slovenia and Croatia are dedicated to the health of the Mura and FUN! When Kelsey and her group flipped the canoe, there was laughter, but we did not let them see! At least not until Kelsey was warm and dry. Actually she was more worried that she could not get back into the USA with a wet and messy passport to reunite with her boyfiend. Ah, young love!
Tomorrow we start the Drava. It looks REALLY, REALLY cold, but I am not going to touch it until I jump in. What difference will it make how cold it is? Kelsey is concerned for the whitewater and boulders a few hundred kilometers downstream from our starting point. She is afraid her touring kajak will not make it. She wants to make sure the passports are going to be kept dry. I told her to call her boyfriend and make sure he will still love her with a head injury. She told me to be quiet because I am at that age where it is easy to break a hip. Teasing and laughter can be good stress reducers. It will be fine!
We found out a couple of days ago that at the end of the Drava, it is not the raw sewage that is dangerous but the mines. When Arno said that, I assumed he meant chemicals as a result of mining. He did not. He meant MINES...boom, boom. After the Homeland War with Serbia and Croatia, as in ALL wars, there were many undenotated bombs. We need to be careful we do not detonate any of them as we swim through that section of the Drava. There are usually warning signs, but Arno said he was trapsing around the riverbank and came upon a stick without a sign. It was stressful finding his way out of the area. I get a picture of him on tippy toes easing his way back to his car. Well, I was told when swimming the Tennessee River not to stand up in Moccasin Bend due to poisoning from WWII. As then, I do not plan to stand up while swimming through the mines.
I have been too long, thanks for all of your support. Please remember that the majority of ALL people are kind, compassionate and supportive of a clean, healthy environment. Live on....mimi
Sunday, May 27, 2007
A Fish called NOSE
Thanks Nancie for the words of support. I wrote them in my notebook for nighttime reading and reflection.
We are traveling from Vienna (Wien) to Mureck, Austria by train on the 31st of May. All of our gear must go with us. That is the pits and, it can be dangerous having to manipulate around it. A good example is when we were coming home from the Danube River swim and waiting for the train to stop in Frankfurt. Standing at the exit door of the train, I tripped over a dry bag and started to fall. Grabbing hold of the automatic door handle inbetween cars for support, it opened and totally threw me off balance. I screamed, a sound from the dictionary of the Universal Language. The woman waiting by the opposite exit door turned to help me and we were both pulled down. We looked like an international version of Abbott and Costello. Kelsey laughed first and LOUDLY, but the woman and I laughed the longest! It was one of those great moments of laughter that are accompanied by sequels just as intense. As the train came into the station, we exchanged glances, laughed one more time and went in opposite directions. I suppose there can be positive memories created from hauling fifty pounds of gear.
Once in Mureck, we will be taken to our hotel for a rest before we meet with people curious to "Know who Mimi is." Hey, I am fifty(one)and wondering who I am. It is hard to tell when I am still wet from my prefifty cocoon. The next day, we begin the swim. The Austrians are presenting me with a fish named NOSE to carry with me to Croatia. Once there, I am to present NOSE to them. NOSE is not the real fish but symbolic of the real one. This fish is made from driftwood. It sounds slendiferous, but I wonder how big NOSE is. At first consideration I assumed NOSE was a small fish that will fit in my hand, but what if he isn't? What if he is really big and as I go down river he soaks up water and ends up weighing a ton? What if he starts as a float and ends up as a weight? Maybe I'll tie him to the kajak. OH, I just had a flashback of Dr. Suess's "Fish Out of Water." I start out with this little tiny fish and have this HUGE fish by the time I reach Croatia. OK, time to refocus.
International River Network gave me a book to read on the negative effects of dams. It is technical, but interesting. I've called IRN a few times for questions, but they always seem curt and patronizing. Maybe they are too busy to be friendly and openly share information, but I cannot help wondering if they are irritated by TVA and my Tennessee River swim. At the time of the Tennessee River swim, I was concerned about other environmental influences polluting our waterways and wanted to send a message of personal responsibility for water quality. It was not a swim to bash companies and corporations. Afterall, don't we the people make up those companies and corporations? My experiences with TVA personnel were all positive. They placed no restrictions on my voice or actions. The majority of the employees I spent time with were highly conscious of the river's environmental concerns and did considerably more than the average person towards perserving the river. It is important to understand that there are two sides to TVA, the environmental side and the power side, befitting titles. I worked with the environmental side. Perhaps it is a tale of two cities...the best and the worst. Whatever, the dams are in place, and they are not building more. Hopefully the two keep everything in balance.
As we leave for the Mur/Drau swim, it is ridiculous for me to believe the world can be perfect. I don't expect it. A quote from my first year on the Tennessee River read: "5% pushes for good and 5% pushes for bad. The world situation depends on who is pushing the hardest." Well, I believe the world is badly out of balance, and the only way I know to correct it is to push harder. If that doesn't work, I will push even harder. I do not give myself a choice.
"Random acts of kindness" is not a figurative phrase.
"God bless us, everyone!" mimi
We are traveling from Vienna (Wien) to Mureck, Austria by train on the 31st of May. All of our gear must go with us. That is the pits and, it can be dangerous having to manipulate around it. A good example is when we were coming home from the Danube River swim and waiting for the train to stop in Frankfurt. Standing at the exit door of the train, I tripped over a dry bag and started to fall. Grabbing hold of the automatic door handle inbetween cars for support, it opened and totally threw me off balance. I screamed, a sound from the dictionary of the Universal Language. The woman waiting by the opposite exit door turned to help me and we were both pulled down. We looked like an international version of Abbott and Costello. Kelsey laughed first and LOUDLY, but the woman and I laughed the longest! It was one of those great moments of laughter that are accompanied by sequels just as intense. As the train came into the station, we exchanged glances, laughed one more time and went in opposite directions. I suppose there can be positive memories created from hauling fifty pounds of gear.
Once in Mureck, we will be taken to our hotel for a rest before we meet with people curious to "Know who Mimi is." Hey, I am fifty(one)and wondering who I am. It is hard to tell when I am still wet from my prefifty cocoon. The next day, we begin the swim. The Austrians are presenting me with a fish named NOSE to carry with me to Croatia. Once there, I am to present NOSE to them. NOSE is not the real fish but symbolic of the real one. This fish is made from driftwood. It sounds slendiferous, but I wonder how big NOSE is. At first consideration I assumed NOSE was a small fish that will fit in my hand, but what if he isn't? What if he is really big and as I go down river he soaks up water and ends up weighing a ton? What if he starts as a float and ends up as a weight? Maybe I'll tie him to the kajak. OH, I just had a flashback of Dr. Suess's "Fish Out of Water." I start out with this little tiny fish and have this HUGE fish by the time I reach Croatia. OK, time to refocus.
International River Network gave me a book to read on the negative effects of dams. It is technical, but interesting. I've called IRN a few times for questions, but they always seem curt and patronizing. Maybe they are too busy to be friendly and openly share information, but I cannot help wondering if they are irritated by TVA and my Tennessee River swim. At the time of the Tennessee River swim, I was concerned about other environmental influences polluting our waterways and wanted to send a message of personal responsibility for water quality. It was not a swim to bash companies and corporations. Afterall, don't we the people make up those companies and corporations? My experiences with TVA personnel were all positive. They placed no restrictions on my voice or actions. The majority of the employees I spent time with were highly conscious of the river's environmental concerns and did considerably more than the average person towards perserving the river. It is important to understand that there are two sides to TVA, the environmental side and the power side, befitting titles. I worked with the environmental side. Perhaps it is a tale of two cities...the best and the worst. Whatever, the dams are in place, and they are not building more. Hopefully the two keep everything in balance.
As we leave for the Mur/Drau swim, it is ridiculous for me to believe the world can be perfect. I don't expect it. A quote from my first year on the Tennessee River read: "5% pushes for good and 5% pushes for bad. The world situation depends on who is pushing the hardest." Well, I believe the world is badly out of balance, and the only way I know to correct it is to push harder. If that doesn't work, I will push even harder. I do not give myself a choice.
"Random acts of kindness" is not a figurative phrase.
"God bless us, everyone!" mimi
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Trusting My Species
It is Saturday night, and we have one more day to prepare for the Mur/Drau swim. One more day to physically, mentally and emotionally prepare. Dry bags are straggled around my room with odds and ends that don't yet fit into our limited space. We are in a continual state of brainstorming ways to reduce and reuse our supplies. Hopefully lessons learned on the Danube River will hold true for the Drau. I will keep you posted. Do I need the water filtering kit?
It seems that a bazillion activites are being planned to monopolize on our jaunt down the river. So many environmental groups and random groups of people are helping and orgnaizing activities. LARA Bar (Humm Foods) sent us 180 healthful bars to take with us. It is a relief to know we will have a quick vegan food to eat on the river. Quintana Roo finally received their shipment of wetsuits and gave them to me on my fiftieth birthday. ProMotion wetsuits out of California graciously sent me a wetsuit in case Quintano Roo's shipment was delayed. ProMotion Wetsuit's compassion for my need was honorable, and I am thankful. Triathlons participants must be on the rise because wetsuits are increasingly more difficult to pull of the shelf. Quintana Roo gave me the birthday present I needed for the extreme temperatures Kelsey and I have to contend with on the Drau.
So, here I am trying to program coordinates into our GPS...do I sound technologically savvey? Ha! My coordinates keep sending me to Africa, not cool. I haven't a clue where we are staying our first night in Lienz, or who is meeting me with instructions for the first day's swim. Go in Faith. We do not have a lifevest for emergencies or a means to get fuel for our campstove; neither items can be taken of the plane. I am leaving for a month and have a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, two shirts and pairs of underwear, two sports bras and four swimming suits for a month long trip. If not for the camping gear, we would have less than twenty pounds of luggage between us. Now there's a fact for Ripley's.
School is over and I want to say goodbye to my students. It was an incredible year,and I am really proud of all of you. Your determination and perseverance in the midst of a language weakness is admirable. Don't give up; I draw my strength from your ability to keep coming back to school when traditional teaching techniqes are not in your interest. Remeber, it is these frustrations and detriments that will make you successful later, just don't give up.
My eyes are weighing heavy and this blog has yet to get to the point I meant to cover. Ah, there is not denying my needs for the comfort of my bed. I wll do what I can to blog tomorrow. mimi
It seems that a bazillion activites are being planned to monopolize on our jaunt down the river. So many environmental groups and random groups of people are helping and orgnaizing activities. LARA Bar (Humm Foods) sent us 180 healthful bars to take with us. It is a relief to know we will have a quick vegan food to eat on the river. Quintana Roo finally received their shipment of wetsuits and gave them to me on my fiftieth birthday. ProMotion wetsuits out of California graciously sent me a wetsuit in case Quintano Roo's shipment was delayed. ProMotion Wetsuit's compassion for my need was honorable, and I am thankful. Triathlons participants must be on the rise because wetsuits are increasingly more difficult to pull of the shelf. Quintana Roo gave me the birthday present I needed for the extreme temperatures Kelsey and I have to contend with on the Drau.
So, here I am trying to program coordinates into our GPS...do I sound technologically savvey? Ha! My coordinates keep sending me to Africa, not cool. I haven't a clue where we are staying our first night in Lienz, or who is meeting me with instructions for the first day's swim. Go in Faith. We do not have a lifevest for emergencies or a means to get fuel for our campstove; neither items can be taken of the plane. I am leaving for a month and have a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, two shirts and pairs of underwear, two sports bras and four swimming suits for a month long trip. If not for the camping gear, we would have less than twenty pounds of luggage between us. Now there's a fact for Ripley's.
School is over and I want to say goodbye to my students. It was an incredible year,and I am really proud of all of you. Your determination and perseverance in the midst of a language weakness is admirable. Don't give up; I draw my strength from your ability to keep coming back to school when traditional teaching techniqes are not in your interest. Remeber, it is these frustrations and detriments that will make you successful later, just don't give up.
My eyes are weighing heavy and this blog has yet to get to the point I meant to cover. Ah, there is not denying my needs for the comfort of my bed. I wll do what I can to blog tomorrow. mimi
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Depak-Marathon Monks-Go In Faith
Depak Chopra Almost Killed Me
I listened to CD’s by Depak almost every night. His words are thought provoking, challenge my opinions and sometimes move me out of my comfort zone. They also put me to sleep. Last Wednesday I woke up at midnight and could not return to sleep. The floor moved me farther from my husband’s snores and seemed like a good idea at the time. Grabbing my pillow, I lay down on the floor next to our bed and put in the ear plugs with Depak. After a few minutes I was uncomfortable and turned to my side. The CD cord wrapped around my neck, pulling the CD player off of the nightstand. The CD player and “Knowing God” hit me in the eye, painfully. ARRRGHing for a few minutes, I touched my eyelid. It was swollen and bleeding. Drats. I manipulated my way to the mirror and saw a bloody gaping wound on my eyelid. Oh, no! The emergency room? No, my first aid kit has sutures. No, I have surgical tape in there too. Quickly cutting it to size, I cleaned the blood off my lid, held the wound together and clumsily closed the wound. It worked. I went back to the floor and left Depak alone. The CD’s did not energize my spirit anyway. After putting them away, I pulled out my favorite book on the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei. It was the needed change. The marathon monks strive for diligence, selflessness and compassion. Words and prayers do not sufficiently prove their service to their higher power. They must humbly run, twenty-five miles a day for one hundred consecutive days. Not an easy task, but a task that develops the ability to endure by drawing physical and mental strength from their higher power. Their feats of endurance are incredible.
I have accomplished athletic feats that rank high on the level of difficulty, but mine do not compare to those of the Marathon Monks. They are incredible examples of human capabilities. In as much as my accomplishments took every bit of physical, emotional and mental strength I could muster, the biggest challenge is always to accept that people may see the feats as no more than personal athletic challenges. Maybe I delude myself into believing that these accomplishments are not ego driven, but I do not believe it. They are too draining, too difficult and when complete there is only the relief that the mission was accomplished and reflective questions estimating the depth of its effectiveness. In the end, it makes no difference to me if the media uses my name or an anonymous, I play to an audience of one. What matters is that the people who worked together compassionately and selflessly are recognized as magnificent models of the human spirit and the positive traits with which God blessed us.
My coach and I had our last talk before Kelsey and I leave for the Mur/Drau swim. I expressed the usual parting fears and he send me on my way with his usual words of strength. As I laughingly and then solemnly relayed the previous story to him with a little natural animation, he shook his head at Depak and the Marathon Monks and said…
“Mimi, go in Faith and Get it done!” And that, is the plan; going in faith and following David's lead, leaving small but significant traces of my time time on Earth cultivating the seeds David spent his life planting.
I listened to CD’s by Depak almost every night. His words are thought provoking, challenge my opinions and sometimes move me out of my comfort zone. They also put me to sleep. Last Wednesday I woke up at midnight and could not return to sleep. The floor moved me farther from my husband’s snores and seemed like a good idea at the time. Grabbing my pillow, I lay down on the floor next to our bed and put in the ear plugs with Depak. After a few minutes I was uncomfortable and turned to my side. The CD cord wrapped around my neck, pulling the CD player off of the nightstand. The CD player and “Knowing God” hit me in the eye, painfully. ARRRGHing for a few minutes, I touched my eyelid. It was swollen and bleeding. Drats. I manipulated my way to the mirror and saw a bloody gaping wound on my eyelid. Oh, no! The emergency room? No, my first aid kit has sutures. No, I have surgical tape in there too. Quickly cutting it to size, I cleaned the blood off my lid, held the wound together and clumsily closed the wound. It worked. I went back to the floor and left Depak alone. The CD’s did not energize my spirit anyway. After putting them away, I pulled out my favorite book on the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei. It was the needed change. The marathon monks strive for diligence, selflessness and compassion. Words and prayers do not sufficiently prove their service to their higher power. They must humbly run, twenty-five miles a day for one hundred consecutive days. Not an easy task, but a task that develops the ability to endure by drawing physical and mental strength from their higher power. Their feats of endurance are incredible.
I have accomplished athletic feats that rank high on the level of difficulty, but mine do not compare to those of the Marathon Monks. They are incredible examples of human capabilities. In as much as my accomplishments took every bit of physical, emotional and mental strength I could muster, the biggest challenge is always to accept that people may see the feats as no more than personal athletic challenges. Maybe I delude myself into believing that these accomplishments are not ego driven, but I do not believe it. They are too draining, too difficult and when complete there is only the relief that the mission was accomplished and reflective questions estimating the depth of its effectiveness. In the end, it makes no difference to me if the media uses my name or an anonymous, I play to an audience of one. What matters is that the people who worked together compassionately and selflessly are recognized as magnificent models of the human spirit and the positive traits with which God blessed us.
My coach and I had our last talk before Kelsey and I leave for the Mur/Drau swim. I expressed the usual parting fears and he send me on my way with his usual words of strength. As I laughingly and then solemnly relayed the previous story to him with a little natural animation, he shook his head at Depak and the Marathon Monks and said…
“Mimi, go in Faith and Get it done!” And that, is the plan; going in faith and following David's lead, leaving small but significant traces of my time time on Earth cultivating the seeds David spent his life planting.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Rivers Without Borders
When I was eleven, we moved from a large home into a considerable smaller house, so I had to share a room with two sisters. Space was limited but we managed to create imaginary boundaries, marking our territory. Most of the time we didn't care if anyone trespassed into our space unless we were mad at each other or just needed solitude.
After the birth of our fourth child, the kids had to share rooms. When our daughters were 5-7, I remember walking into their room and getting scolded because I broke the toilet paper they put up to divide the room, marking their territory. The toilet paper did not function well as a boundary. It tore easily, and the Tennessee humidity made it wet and messy. Through the years they experimented with a variety of barriers but eventually found it worked best to leave it unmarked while understanding and respect for each other's need for personal space.
In California, everyone has a fence around their property, so when I moved to Alabama it was weird to see so many homes withourt any fences. How did people know where their property lines ended? Now, after living in the country for twenty years, fences seem a waste of time, resources and money (unless there are farm animals.) There are no fences to mark our property lines, but everytime a landowner breaks up his land and sells it off, the people move in and inevitably put up a fence. What is this human need to mark our territory?
This need probably does not stem from the civilized man but more from our prehistoric instincts. My experience tells me it is basic to most life forms. Once on a trail run, I noticed something strange in the grass and stopped to take a look. Big mistake! I took one step too many into a skunk's territory. It wasn't marked before, but it didn't take him long to start marking. The uplifted tail was a signal it was time for some speed work.
Last week, a ranger at a State Park commented on the dangers of entering a wild animal's territory. After instructing us on how to survive those types of dangerous situations, he described stinging insects that take offense if you impose on their territory. I thought about the wasps building nests around our house. Do they know they are building in the territory of a consciencious objector and will respect me for it? HMM, remembering the day Tree was literally attacted by a wasp, had an allegic reation and was taken to the hospital via an ambulance, I'd say not. Well, one sting in twenty years isn't bad odds especially since they eat mosquitos.
So the big question is-
Is it possible for us to overcome this innate need to have boundaries? Setting boundaries on our rivers is destroying them. One state dumps into a river as it leaves its borders and the next state dams the river to kill the life of the river in the next state. As seen in the Rio Grande and the Colorado, by the time everyone is done abusing it, either nothing gets to the ocean or what does is horrendously polluted. There are so many people on this planet and our resources are frighteningly limited. The most precious resources are on the verge of being destroyed if we do not overcome the need to place boundaries, mark our territory and selfishly control.
So I suggest Rivers Without Borders. Imagine, rivers that are free to be rivers, wild and full of life. Sounds great, but it is not my idea. It is the goal of most environmentally conscious people along the Drava/Mura/Danube Rivers. It is their goal to have the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, a biosphere preserved by all the countries that border the proposed reserve. How exciting is that? The statement the bordering countries make supporting and preserving the reserve is profound. As I continue to preach, we all make a difference either positive or negative. Apathy is not noncommital; it is negative. I train and prepare in belief that the Drava swim with make a positive statement about our desperate need to preserve one of the last stretches of a natural river and the surrounding biosphere. It does not have to be restored - yet. If we can promote Rivers without borders, it may never have to be.
After the birth of our fourth child, the kids had to share rooms. When our daughters were 5-7, I remember walking into their room and getting scolded because I broke the toilet paper they put up to divide the room, marking their territory. The toilet paper did not function well as a boundary. It tore easily, and the Tennessee humidity made it wet and messy. Through the years they experimented with a variety of barriers but eventually found it worked best to leave it unmarked while understanding and respect for each other's need for personal space.
In California, everyone has a fence around their property, so when I moved to Alabama it was weird to see so many homes withourt any fences. How did people know where their property lines ended? Now, after living in the country for twenty years, fences seem a waste of time, resources and money (unless there are farm animals.) There are no fences to mark our property lines, but everytime a landowner breaks up his land and sells it off, the people move in and inevitably put up a fence. What is this human need to mark our territory?
This need probably does not stem from the civilized man but more from our prehistoric instincts. My experience tells me it is basic to most life forms. Once on a trail run, I noticed something strange in the grass and stopped to take a look. Big mistake! I took one step too many into a skunk's territory. It wasn't marked before, but it didn't take him long to start marking. The uplifted tail was a signal it was time for some speed work.
Last week, a ranger at a State Park commented on the dangers of entering a wild animal's territory. After instructing us on how to survive those types of dangerous situations, he described stinging insects that take offense if you impose on their territory. I thought about the wasps building nests around our house. Do they know they are building in the territory of a consciencious objector and will respect me for it? HMM, remembering the day Tree was literally attacted by a wasp, had an allegic reation and was taken to the hospital via an ambulance, I'd say not. Well, one sting in twenty years isn't bad odds especially since they eat mosquitos.
So the big question is-
Is it possible for us to overcome this innate need to have boundaries? Setting boundaries on our rivers is destroying them. One state dumps into a river as it leaves its borders and the next state dams the river to kill the life of the river in the next state. As seen in the Rio Grande and the Colorado, by the time everyone is done abusing it, either nothing gets to the ocean or what does is horrendously polluted. There are so many people on this planet and our resources are frighteningly limited. The most precious resources are on the verge of being destroyed if we do not overcome the need to place boundaries, mark our territory and selfishly control.
So I suggest Rivers Without Borders. Imagine, rivers that are free to be rivers, wild and full of life. Sounds great, but it is not my idea. It is the goal of most environmentally conscious people along the Drava/Mura/Danube Rivers. It is their goal to have the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, a biosphere preserved by all the countries that border the proposed reserve. How exciting is that? The statement the bordering countries make supporting and preserving the reserve is profound. As I continue to preach, we all make a difference either positive or negative. Apathy is not noncommital; it is negative. I train and prepare in belief that the Drava swim with make a positive statement about our desperate need to preserve one of the last stretches of a natural river and the surrounding biosphere. It does not have to be restored - yet. If we can promote Rivers without borders, it may never have to be.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Where do I begin...
In the beginning, events are so trivial that they seem unimportant. By the time the implications of those "small" moments are perceiveable, the beginning is faded or even lost. I know the sudden death of David sparked the idea, and I remember Kelsey saying, "if its for Daivd, I'm in" but the sequence of events is sketchy. Now it is, March 18, 2007 and another incredible journey is in full form: The Drava River Swim. Most days there are moments when between work, home, training and preparing for the swim it feels as if my head is going to explode. During those times, I wonder why I cannot seem to make a place in my life for staying at home and relaxing. This morning was unreasonably hectic, a Saturday and the first day of Spring break. Frazzled, I rushed to the Post Office two minutes before it closed and found a letter in my box from a Russian friend. Her last letter was over three years ago. When I read it, I literally broke down and cried- just missing an oncoming truck. This is what her letter said,
"My mother is blind and I work more than usual. It takes all of my free time to care about my mother. I am too tired to write at nights like I use to and there is little to write about. Don't be offended by my silence, please! You opened the window to the world for me! You gave me so much-you cannot even imagine!"
After reading that, it was Niagra Falls, tears of sadness and regret pouring down my face. Here this woman is applauding my input in her life when it is she that so deeply enriched mine. The life lessons she taught me through her experiences during the fall of communism continue to effect my view on society. I wonder...Did I tell her enough times in my letters? Does she have an inkling of the compassion I learned from her? Does she realize the iron door she opened releasing me from my shallow, selfish, family centered world? Does she know that my biggest failure in life is that I did not have the ability to bring her to the US for a visit? Does she know I continue to ponder ideas for that visit? And now, is it impossible for her to visit when she is sandwiched between her offspring and her mother's needs?
After just missing the truck and regaining control of the jeep after fishtailing in the gravel on the side of the road, my eyes dried and I finsihed reading the letter. Afterwards, the Drava swim took on more importance than ever. When we connect with people and our environments we have an effect. It is either positive or negative. The choice is an important one, and it is ours to make. Usually we never know the outcome of our words, random acts of kindness or compassion but rest assured, they are there and they make a difference.
"Be the change you wish to see in the World" Gandhi
"My mother is blind and I work more than usual. It takes all of my free time to care about my mother. I am too tired to write at nights like I use to and there is little to write about. Don't be offended by my silence, please! You opened the window to the world for me! You gave me so much-you cannot even imagine!"
After reading that, it was Niagra Falls, tears of sadness and regret pouring down my face. Here this woman is applauding my input in her life when it is she that so deeply enriched mine. The life lessons she taught me through her experiences during the fall of communism continue to effect my view on society. I wonder...Did I tell her enough times in my letters? Does she have an inkling of the compassion I learned from her? Does she realize the iron door she opened releasing me from my shallow, selfish, family centered world? Does she know that my biggest failure in life is that I did not have the ability to bring her to the US for a visit? Does she know I continue to ponder ideas for that visit? And now, is it impossible for her to visit when she is sandwiched between her offspring and her mother's needs?
After just missing the truck and regaining control of the jeep after fishtailing in the gravel on the side of the road, my eyes dried and I finsihed reading the letter. Afterwards, the Drava swim took on more importance than ever. When we connect with people and our environments we have an effect. It is either positive or negative. The choice is an important one, and it is ours to make. Usually we never know the outcome of our words, random acts of kindness or compassion but rest assured, they are there and they make a difference.
"Be the change you wish to see in the World" Gandhi
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