tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post1574059558597379763..comments2023-03-24T07:49:16.014-06:00Comments on Scott's Adventures: Catching up with the blog, but mostly with myself.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15481181727640289864noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-82039874432762970942012-04-03T13:30:29.523-06:002012-04-03T13:30:29.523-06:00Hi Scott,
This is Lissette from Xpress Magazine, ...Hi Scott,<br /><br />This is Lissette from Xpress Magazine, I just read your article on Slacklining. I'm working on a similar and I was hoping I could get some of your input.<br /><br />Let me know what you think as soon as you get this message.<br /><br />Here's my email: lyalva89@gmail.comLissettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05929259477019361455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-16165964253361193562010-03-02T00:45:05.452-07:002010-03-02T00:45:05.452-07:00Hers something to do (Happening now): http://www.y...Hers something to do (Happening now): http://www.yachtpals.com/rowing-atlantic-9022Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-3988997979792337482010-03-02T00:35:41.614-07:002010-03-02T00:35:41.614-07:00Life is what happens to you
While you're busy ...Life is what happens to you<br />While you're busy making other plans.<br />John LennonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-61760966975572960742010-03-01T23:58:16.621-07:002010-03-01T23:58:16.621-07:00Well, mostly I just read blogs, and move on withou...Well, mostly I just read blogs, and move on without comment, but I'm compelled to comment here, because <br />1. You seem to be able to think.<br />2. You seem to want to be honest about what you are doing and why you are doing it.<br />3. You are young. <br /> So, here is some perspective, which is yours to take or leave, from a source that you can credit, or not. <br /> At this point in your life, your world is without real boundaries, without real, tangible, everyday obstacles. Without those obstacles, you can have no sense of 'getting over', which is how you get the sense of progress, of connectedness, and of motion through life that you seem to be lacking. You need more obstacles.<br /> In your life, you are without the constraints by which to measure your freedom, so it feels like nothing. It feels like emptiness. <br /><br /> Well, it's not. <br /><br /> You have mistakes to make, lessons to learn, naivety to lose, experience to gain. <br /> But real experience can not be obtained with shortcuts. You can't learn about life simply by risking your own. Dying is easy....it's living that can be hard.<br /> The thing you may be starting to understand, is that life is not a question to be answered. Life is an answer to be created. Everyone gets to create their own life....within constraints.<br /> So stop looking for answers, and start trying to create something. You may get it wrong....maybe even a few times...but the act of attempting to create your own life will teach you more than you will learn if you don't try.<br /> Also? Nobody can answer the question, "What is life?" for you. Not in a blog, not on Facebook. Facebook is just a bad habit which many people have. It is today’s “Smoking”. Eventually, studies will prove it to be bad, but you’ve already intuited it…good for you. The most important stuff in life is communicated person to person, face to face, only you to only them, with both of you really invested in it, with something to lose. Blogs and FB have none of that.<br /> That is the eternal mystery of this place. Everyone makes their own answer....and "time", btw, is a motherf*cker. "Time" has a way of dissolving lots of things we think of as universal and inalterable in our lives.....which is why your grandmother's advice in the first comment should carry lots of weight:<br /> So find someone in particular to love you, that you love back…and start the adventure of real life. If you're not ready for that yet, try this:<br /> To get some perspective, maybe try something harder than jumping out of perfectly good airplanes: Go try to make a living in the world...to earn enough to theoretically support a wife and kids. *Then* you'll have a way to measure the infinite freedom that is your current every day.<br /> Oh, and read stuff by real authors...see if it resonates with you. Read "Feed" by M.T. Anderson. Read "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman". Read "The Old Man and The Sea". Read "Touching the Void". Read "Brave New World". Read "Darkness Visible." Read "Looking For a Ship" or anything else by McPhee. <br /><br /> You want to try a real obstacle? Try to get a story published. ;-) Dare ya.<br /><br /> Also, maybe, take up a competitive contact sport,like MMA. It's good to know that when you want to push on the world, sometimes it will push back. Everything is not ephemeral and experiential. Everything is not "Man against Himself", or "Man against Gravity"....sometimes "Man against Man" feels more immediate....and it underlies most of what really happens in the world anyway....good to be familiar with that too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-3240707452157467182010-02-24T15:09:35.947-07:002010-02-24T15:09:35.947-07:00Hello Scott,
I just came across this philosopher ...Hello Scott,<br /><br />I just came across this philosopher named Julius Evola. I thought of you when I read about his book titled:<br />Meditations on the Peaks: Mountain Climbing as Metaphor for the Spiritual Quest. <br /><br />Best regards to you<br /><br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Peaks-Mountain-Climbing-Spiritual/dp/0892816570/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267048252&sr=1-9Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-55360679501363419122010-01-21T22:57:57.761-07:002010-01-21T22:57:57.761-07:00Scott,
When will we every be free from ourselves?...Scott,<br /><br />When will we every be free from ourselves? From the full time job that is the maintenance of our own personal fronts?<br /><br />There are two of me. The first is my external self. This is the guy that looks at himself in every reflective surface on the way to class. He checks his Facebook often, snaps photos, tells people about the weekends to come, etc. Months ago he became self aware, as you have, and now feels deeply shameful but cannot break the addiction.<br /><br />The 'second me' is climbing. He is aware of his hands, feet, pulse and the wall in front of him. He has no Facebook account.<br />The 'second me' is highlining. He is aware of his hands, feet, pulse, and the webbing beneath him. He has no reflection.<br />The 'second me' exists only through motion. <br /><br />I am not strong and will likely never kick the addiction, but I am thankful for the time I have in which I am able to escape it. <br /><br />I hope to see you soon,<br />Your friend<br />GingerXAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-15703960908578268132010-01-04T21:14:35.470-07:002010-01-04T21:14:35.470-07:00Hi Scott,
I've enjoyed reading your blog and ...Hi Scott,<br /><br />I've enjoyed reading your blog and following your adventures. It's exciting, and a good thing, for you to explore your spiritual self along with some good old introspection.<br />The first thing that struck me is that you're way too hard on yourself, as Erin said. You are already miles ahead of most people (let alone most students) in terms of the issues you raise. The answers will unfold for you, just be patient.<br />Spirituality gives depth and texture to life. I have found my own peace in right relationship with God, and from that flows right relationship with my fellow human beings.<br />With respect and admiration,<br />DonnaDonnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-26653026335664203832009-12-29T04:47:51.192-07:002009-12-29T04:47:51.192-07:00Love is the only fuel that can sustain our ambitio...Love is the only fuel that can sustain our ambition without destroying ourselves internally. Without it, we perpetually run on empty and that ambition begins to eat away from our inside in a desperate attempt to nourish itself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-28055851391325927582009-12-26T15:42:25.812-07:002009-12-26T15:42:25.812-07:00Scotty,
It's Emily. I want you to know how mu...Scotty,<br /><br />It's Emily. I want you to know how much I relate to what you've expressed in this post. Ever since I started highlining, I've felt that strange emptiness in my stomach as well and I've realized that it comes from my ego wanting to be "the best female" at highlining. I have also been trying very hard to step back from that and enjoy the sport for what it truly is, and not for what people will say about my photos or accomplishments. Because all in all, what will I get from people telling me how great I am? If I don't feel great inside, I'm never going to feel great no matter what people say or think of me. It's hard to separate myself though, especially when a lot of people I am surrounded by are also plagued by the "ego" and strive to be the best. It's amazing what such a great sport can do to the soul if it's for the wrong reasons, you are right. But don't worry, you are not alone. I am actually relieved that you wrote about this, it makes me feel less alone. Thanks...<br /><br />-EmilyEmily Sukiennikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14051561675836729839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-11612188998676237002009-12-22T10:59:45.509-07:002009-12-22T10:59:45.509-07:00Hi Scott!
I feel like a bit of a voyeur now, sinc...Hi Scott!<br /><br />I feel like a bit of a voyeur now, since you said that pretty much nobody reads your blog except for your family. And I'm a complete stranger that found your blog through a random series of mouse clicks a few months ago. Right now I'm sitting in my office in Lansing, Michigan, looking out my window at the side of another office building. I love looking at the colorful pictures of your adventures, since they're so different than what I experience on a daily basis.<br /><br />Anyway, I felt that I should let you know that I'm here, so now you get a response to your post from a total stranger who doesn't know anything about you: On one hand, I think you're being WAY too hard on yourself. The character "flaws" that you described are human nature. From an evolutionary perspective, they would have helped your ancestors survive and reproduce and therefore are a big part of the reason that you (and any of us) exist today. On the other hand, I admire your attempts to rise above your genetic programming and become a better person. I struggle with the same issues, although my hobbies are decidedly less glamorous (like...um...knitting). A big part of my enjoyment from doing anything that I'm good at is thinking about how people will be impressed by it. And even though I don't like that part of myself, I don't know how to overcome it. I can pretend to be a better person on the outside and act modest, but I can't stop the thoughts from coming. I have chosen not to beat myself up about it (see my Darwinist rationalization above), but I still feel guilty for being so ego-driven.<br /><br />So...that was really unhelpful, as I obviously do not have the answer yet. Good luck with your journey, and I hope you share anything that helps you along the way. I also look forward to seeing more pictures of your adventures at some point. And should they be awesome, I promise not to comment on it. :)<br /><br />- ErinErinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-38307120849064863882009-12-19T08:38:59.836-07:002009-12-19T08:38:59.836-07:00And thank you for your admonishment to me. I have ...And thank you for your admonishment to me. I have reached a level of happiness that I didn’t think that I could. I have cast off the baggage that I was dragging around for so long (ok, so maybe I have a small bag that I am still dealing with, but progress takes time). Being a teacher gave me a great perspective of helping other people grow and learn. And now I have a completely new circle of friends and colleagues that I have been trying to effect in a positive way. I have been placed in a position of mentorship that I am taking on with relish. I am trying to walk the talk that helps make people and organizations successful, and I am getting those ego boosting compliments from very different places. Those comments now serve to reinforce doing the right thing. I have learned so much from you, my son, just as I have from your brother and sister. Being a parent is definitely a two way prospect, and one of the most rewarding in life. So live to love, live to help others and you gain love, live to share love and you get to take that with you – into the next place for you. Make the most of the moment, and love one another while you do. <br />I love you more than you can ever imagine!!<br />DadDadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-61889756772488344292009-12-19T08:38:24.902-07:002009-12-19T08:38:24.902-07:00The comment that your grandmother made in your blo...The comment that your grandmother made in your blog is the real truth. Love for each other is the most important thing in the world. This has been a foundation in my life, and it is a fundamental truth that I have always tried to instill in your life. Some reflection here son: some of the most beautiful moments that I have seen in your life have been when you give your love to others. Remember when you won that photography contest in Fairfax. You took the accolades with grace. You took the winnings to buy toys not for yourself, but for others. Do you remember those feelings in your heart? That is the real you. You give to others. You give through your heart. You teach others to try the unexpected, to try to push themselves to a new level of understanding. You give yourself completely. When you were in middle school you were pushing forward with all kinds of community service activities, you were always conscious of helping other people. And you gave some pretty incredible examples of giving experiences to others. A good example for you to remember is the work you did in the ceremonies teams, both in Virginia and in Colorado. Yes, some of it was to fit in, but look beyond, to the experiences you were giving to those young men. And then high school, one of your significant mentor teachers saw your capabilities so early that he made sure you had a place to shine your light. You started some pretty amazing traditions that reached many people, young and old. How about the Senior Citizens Prom? No one else had taken that on like you did. And look closer, what a model you gave to your sister!! She carried on your work and made it even greater…impact my son. And through all of those experiences of giving yourself to others is love. Love for other people is the most important lesson. And how about Big Horn? Few have been as focused on learning and fun as you have. You touched people with your leadership skills in a most amazing way. And you cannot see those results because they take a lifetime to measure, but one you can see and measure is the impact you have had on your brother. There are no better moments than when the two of you have worked together, played and wrestled together and made a difference to others together. He now takes his commitment to others to the most impactful we can see, giving great self-sacrifice. I can only thank God that I have been there to observe these events. Through all of these experiences has been your love for others. <br />So, now, as you complete your college years (one that are specifically designed I believe to be completely self serving, self discovering, self motivated, and self experiential) it is only natural to ask – “is this all there is? What am I doing? What do I want to do?” The fact that you feel disgusted with your self-focused behavior only reinforces to me the fact that your path continues to be along to road of helping others. Share your talents and your love with other people; strangers become friends as your grandmother so eloquently put it. We would have loved to have you join us in Belize, but you were not ready. Perhaps you have grown beyond the need to experience extreme feelings that are hollow at heart. Pursue those things that give you great feelings of the heart. When you do that it makes for great relationships…ask your sister to tell you some of her experiences here.Dadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-9352728321146403142009-12-19T08:37:18.763-07:002009-12-19T08:37:18.763-07:00My Son,
I am struck by so many things that you hav...My Son,<br />I am struck by so many things that you have written in your blog…your capacity to think goes far beyond the expectation most people have of others, except for a gifted writer in a philosophical relationship with his world. Your writing is beauty in and of itself. Your self-awareness is deeper than most of us can ever achieve in a lifetime. I say these things not to stoke your ego, but to be honest about how I feel about you.<br />You were born, son, an old soul. I have always known this. Your awareness of the world and the truth that lives here has been pretty profound from a young age. Your wonderful grandmother Marilyn, whom I have always adored, and I would talk about this often. We just knew, we had this feeling that you have been here in this experience many times in the past. I saw it when you were young and I see it through your struggles here in your blog. This is your last time, so make it count. And you certainly are.<br />First I want to give you some validation. Your adventures, your pursuits, your passions do not define you. They are your inner spirit, a reflection of your strength as well as your struggles. But they don’t really mean that your extreme adventures are definition of life. Even though you are an old soul, you are a young spirit and you get this time to achieve the enlightenment you seek, so embrace it as you always do.<br />Clarity: I do not fear your adventures, or your extreme nature, or even whether or not you get hurt or die. As you fondly remind me, the glass is already broken. This helps to give one peace in knowing the inevitable. None of us hopes to hasten that event; we all hope to have a long and fulfilling life. The choices you are making are no different from the behavior going on at every college campus, high school, or city in the world. Youth always wants to press some sort of boundary. Some, like your mother, press the boundary of knowledge, focusing on improving her mind and her body. Her behavior has always been above reproach. That right there was one of her most attractive qualities. It is not easy to live up to or to live with, which may explain why we are where we are, all of us. My behaviors bordered on the other edge – knowledge certainly, but I push out against all boundaries. I try far too many things that I should not have – professionally and personally. Experiencing the extreme pain what happens when you do fall too far – both physically and mentally. But that gave excitement to an otherwise unfulfilled life. That leaves you son with a complicated history to live through. A lot of ego existed in the house you grew up in, without much balance. So it is not surprising that you had to struggle to show your own. <br />You are certainly not alone in struggling with ego, we all, in some way, deal with ourselves, justifying ourselves and our place in this world. We all want to be perceived in a positive light. But that perception of others does not define you either. You talk about your compulsion to view your pictures and videos over and over again, to relive those adventures, often before they have even settled into your mind. There is nothing wrong with that. I think it is rather like people passing a traffic accident, we thank God (or whomever you want to thank) that it is not us, but we can’t help to look, even when it might be gruesome. Again, human nature here, but that doesn’t make it bad.Dadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5141169197573157845.post-47468068090678425582009-12-17T13:21:36.927-07:002009-12-17T13:21:36.927-07:00Scott,
You think more deeply than most young peop...Scott,<br /><br />You think more deeply than most young people I'm sure, and even more than people of any age. For the 1st time in my life I have been alone (especially at the cabin) and I have come to realize that love for each other is the most important thing in the world. Not just for our families, but for strangers that you may meet during your life. Many of the "strangers" that we have met in our life, have become good friends over the years. I love you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com