Thursday, May 11, 2006

Trek notes

"Do You Know Where You're Going to?" (Do you like the things that life is showing you?) by Diana Ross was the graduation theme of my Springfield High School class of '78 (Holland, Ohio).

It reminds me of those sayings like "If you don't know where you're going, you don't need a map to get there" and "Man cannot discover new worlds until he's ready to lose sight of the shore" - or something like that. I have the quotes around here somewhere.

I really like "Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it" - especially when you're off hitch-hiking thru Europe or South Africa or launching some new expedition of sorts.

It's late and I'm tired but I wanted to start this new blog - Life is a Trek - since I woke up from a dream this morning thinking about this idea. When I was running through my inheritance by travel and adventure (never regretting a moment of it since it affords me priceless memories and subjects to share as a writer), I used to send "colorful" letters and cards to family and friends which now serve me as a jumpy journal, just like looking through old stuff.

Most of what I'll use to post here were sent to my friend Steve Gwinn in Toledo, Ohio who is now dead, but he saved all my letters and cards which I found in his closet. Reading them was bittersweet.

The last time I saw Steve was when he and another friend (Tony) dropped me off at the Detroit International Airport to leave again for Israel in 1995. I gave him a hug and kiss goodbye, without a clue it would be the last. But life is a trek, and all treks must come to an end...or at least a pause.

(I've repeated this here in case you're just reading and didn't see the first post - this was it).



Steve Gwinn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

2 comments:

Veronica said...

Hello David, Here I am 17 years later after leaving Sdot-Yam and I come across your "Trek notes". When I think back and remember the good old days at the pub, I often tell friends about you. Hope that you remember me, but it was so long ago. Shalom, Veronica Pierce (USA)

David Ben-Ariel said...

Shalom Veronica!

Aren't you the American girl with dark hair who I gave an Israeli flag for your room in "Mexico City"? The flag I was given at the Temple Mount Faithful demonstration I attended in Jerusalem and unfurled as I returned to Sdot Yam and walked through the cheder ochel to friends and everybody broke into spontaneous applause? LOL

Just like yesterday, and so bittersweet...

I have pictures of us.