This is a collage of photos from past and a distant past. The child in the photo was oh, maybe 13 years old, he's grown to 37 with the beard, and with the helmet had turned 38. Kayaking has for a long time meant "freedom" to me. It was with the little orange yak that I first learned about boating on my own, that the need for safety was my responsibility-and I took it seriously indeed. The need for a personal "safe place" was also becoming very clear.

The first time out in the little boat went well, though I did flip the little balloon and learned how well a kayakers PFD can keep you afloat, even in frigid March waters in Michigan. By eventually not relying upon others to get me to the water, by taking the time and effort to pack, lug the package to the water, going paddling and then doing the process in reverse, I found out about the value of motivation. Motivations' causes? Well they took me years and a head injury to find out. None-the-less I now have replaced that little orange boat with a yellow one. You see the Pursuit is too large to do my previous trip yet again.

The Sevylor at one time was a place of safety-a route away from the roaming ground of abusers, and one that allowed myself to be at peace with one of the few people I found I could trust-that person of course, was *myself*...

Through the process of these many years, I developed many interests, oh like motorcycling, photography, computers, running a BBS, camping, travelling [wanna see a picture of me at the pyramids? <G>], sailing, poetry/short story/philosophical-writing, song writing, singing, playing guitar, wood working, and Amateur radio for starters... I've been so far from my home that I started to get closer, and now besides a part of my head, I've given up my house, my third civilian job [that one at a natural gas plant] to strike out into new territory, develope a newer life on, of all places, the west coast.

What once were easy, have turned into challenges, new routes I guess, toward finding that, "newer, possibly safer, way." Thank God I have a stubborn streak! I'm nearly able to live independently, possibly a few more weeks and I can pull that trick off for at least a whole day. I hope to start volunteering [at the U.W.?] so that I will increase my stamina, then find a paying job and continue with what has clearly turned out to be an adventure... I'm not there yet, but I'll get there. So much to do... <g>

What the heck-I proved the paramedics and the brain surgeons wrong! Maybe I can find a new career while I'm out trying to get myself around road-blocks? I think so...

If you've taken the time to visit the page and read to this point I am honored by the attention. If you now see more clearly *why* I had such an overpowering desire to take my trip in the Pursuit, then I am relived.