Our intrepid sailor

Nenad Belic

"Did Nenad Belic, 62, wait too long to pursue his dream? I'm sure he would have rowed faster had he been a bit younger, and if he had rowed faster, he would have beat the late, summer storms.  Or was it at you should constantly integrate adventure and thrills into whatever you're doing, keep steadily feeding those urges with little bites, here and there, but always, so they don't become so voracious they end up devouring you?" Love, Africa by Jeffrey Gettleman

Look at this man!  He looks happy - purpose filled.  He is about to die pursuing his dream of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Nenad's face and smile gives me pause. I bet Nenad knew his voice - loud and clear.


It gives me pause for considering what I'm doing toward my dreams, and at what cost.


Is Nenad haunted, plagued by his dream?  Or is he fulfilled? When he died on the ocean, did he have remorse, or did he move into the next world knowing he was doing what he wanted to do and with that, satisfied?

Isn't this one of life's biggest questions and dilemmas?  How and when to find the adventure we crave, need, desire?  I certainly have constant crises about this.  To "integrate adventure into whatever you're doing, steadily feeding those urges," to throw caution at the wind to pursue the dream now or suffer the consequences (possibly death, as our intrepid sailor proves to us) and wait to pursue dreams until there is more time.

So far, I am half way through this book, Love, Africa: A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival and to my disappointment, not completely loving it.  I will finish it, but I so far feel like I have been reading about a fairly self absorbed, low integrity, high risk taking, white privileged man.  More on that when I finish it.

But Jeffrey did bring me Nenad and does demonstrate himself pursuing dreams above anything else; so for that, I'm grateful.

Until then -- dream pondering, voice forming moments for us all!

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