I don't know if the Gods hate me and are seeking revenge, if they love me and are handing me a present, or don't give a hoot and life is just as it is. In any case, i long ago gave up trying to understand how and why my life has turned out like it has.
Anyway... i have been steadily getting everything together for round 2 of my bike trip across the US, and have been planning to leave Lockport on, or around, June 1 and riding west through June and July. Then, last Thursday evening, i got an email from a friend on Shikoku asking if i was interested in guiding an American around the henro trail — all expenses paid.
Now that drops me squarely into a quandary; a major quandary; maybe even a quandary on the scale of impending universal disaster. If i accept and go, what about my bike trip? On the other hand, how in the world do you turn down a free trip around the henro trail? That would be like asking you to give up breathing for the rest of spring and into early summer.
Those that know me know that i really had no choice — i contacted the guy, he offered me the job, i accepted the offer, and have put the bike trip on hold yet again. :-(
I'm now looking for airfare to Japan and will be there from around March 28 to June 13th. The "client" is walking the henro trail to collect film and information in order to put together a documentary film on the Henro. He plans to take 10 weeks in total to walk it, which is entirely possible given that i took me 8 weeks without stopping to shoot film every day. My job is to get him around the island, interpret for him, help him find people and locations, and be his general connection to the people of Shikoku. I'm not sure, but he may have seen my picture on the Contact Me page of this blog and needed a good looking guy to stand in for some of his shots of "walking henro." Not really sure if that is a possibility or not though. ;-)
I am soooo thoroughly besides myself with excitement i can hardly breath. I didn't think i'd get back to the trail for many more years. I'll be taking lots of pictures and gathering lots of information myself to update the web site when i get back.
As for the TransAm Trail......... i don't know. I'm really worried that if i don't do it now i may never get it done, and it has been a dream since 1977. You don't give up dreams that easily, not even if the trade off is Shikoku. So, for now, i'm leaving it open in my head as a possibility that when i get back in mid-June, i'll rest for a couple of weeks and then do the bike ride in July and August. Will i really feel like doing that after walking the henro trail for 10 weeks? I won't know that until sometime near the end of those 10 weeks. As all the famous people say, only time will tell.
So there you go, another completely unexpected change in the life of Lao Bendan.
2 comments:
You have made the best choice for you, as at any given time you make the best choice based on your known options. All comes back to what's important for you....and I get the feeling the all expenses paid is the tipping point for a journey you're meant to take.
Cheers,
dukkha :)
"... A journey you're meant to take."
That makes me wonder... If that is the case, for what reason? For what lesson? I get the feeling that I will have to keep my eyes open (both figuratively and literally) for the entire 10 weeks.
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