Day 194 - Tuesday 22nd February 2011

A quick blog about today then I want to tell you about yesterday’s journey; life is after all “all about the journey” isn’t it?

Today the sea was very calm and the tide was very low indeed, in fact it was one of those very long walk out days where you could walk to the middle of the pier before you were in the deep. A few of us out there (Little & Big Bob, Mike,Shoichi, David, Martina, Charlotte and the lovely Bella). Big Bob, Shoichi and I walked/swam just past the helter skelter to the end of the pier and then came back in. Air temperature 6 degrees, sea temperature just 4.9 degrees. After 12 minutes in under 5 degrees you really do feel the cold starting to hurt all over, especially in the “boys” region – boy does that hurt! Anyhow a nice cold swim to start the day.

The Journey

Yesterday after my morning swim I had two meetings in Brighton and then headed to Gatwick airport and jumped on the Gatwick Express for two afternoon London meetings. There I was reading the paper when a very attractive mid twenties girl (I had noticed her when I sat down of course!) got up from her seat further up the carriage, walked over to me and simply said, in a rather strong Russian accent “do you mind if we talk” and then she sat opposite me and waited for my reply. Of course I did what any English Gentleman would do; put down my paper, looked up at her, thought about it for a few seconds and then said “sure, what exactly would you like to talk about”.

“Oh” she replied, “you’re English”

“What did you expect” I said

“I thought you were European, I don’t much like the English to be honest”

“That’s a rather sweeping statement” I replied “have you met us all already?" I said with a serious face (hiding a smirk, as I thought how ballsy she was to not only sit with me but to then insult me as well!).

“I find the English to be rather boring and never to be risk takers, never talking to anyone or ever doing anything interesting”

I didn’t at this point tell her that perhaps if she had been in the sea with me this morning that she may have seen another side to the “boring English”; instead I simply pointed out that perhaps what she considers boring, others may consider exciting and vice versa and that perhaps she should be more accepting of others. I suggested she learned to question first and then listen and then decide; either way though to simply accept that what she perceives is actually just “her” reality not someone else’s. Interestingly enough she thought about that for a few seconds, then threw me a sweet smile that seemed to suggest that perhaps she agreed.

After that the conversation just flowed. We spoke without expectation or need, simply two strangers talking. She questioned “why” so many times. Why read, why write, why do this or do that. Not in a negative way, just a questioning way. She was maybe 25, has a child, was starting her own shoe business, wanted to end up back in Latvia, was going to study economics in London and more. She said it’s all about the end result and that one had to concentrate on what one wants and that is what life is about; getting to the end result. Personally, I disagreed and said it’s about the “journey” and not about the result. This took her by surprise as she was so definite about this; in fact she said her and her friends all agree on this and that otherwise what is life about if not the end result.

“Maybe when I was mid twenty I thought the same as you” I said. “It was all about the goal. Deciding on where, what and how and then chasing it and eventually getting it; job done! But as you get older you start to realise that whilst it’s very important to always have the goal in place to give you focus, it is actually the journey that is the important thing as one never actually reaches the goal”

“If no-one reaches the goal then why have one” she said, interrupting me whilst I was in full teacher/student mode.

“Because having a goal gives you direction and that’s important, not to everyone maybe, but certainly to me and I would suggest certainly to You it seems. But as you get older you realise that the goal changes so many times; sometimes even daily. But the important thing is what you learn along the way; this is the secret to life; life is all about the journey we take”. Sure someone might reach what they consider to be their goal, their purpose in life, and that is great, but so few of us ever really do. But if it was handed to them on a plate with no journey involved then they have experienced nothing along the way and then perhaps they will realise that this was not their goal after all.”

At this point the train pulled into Victoria, she kissed me on both cheeks, thanked me for listening to her and said that perhaps she will tell her friends about the journey we have had and then journey of life. As I walked away from her I thought that perhaps give it another 10 years and she may realise that maybe her goal and the journey are perhaps one and the same thing! She liked the fact I listened and I liked the fact she seemed to question; it was shame the Gatwick Express is an express!

So what on earth has this to do with my Channel swim?? I’ll tell you..............

“It’s all about the journey”

Chatting to her made me remember what I have always known, but so often forget. Life is all about the journey. Sure I’ll swim the Channel, no doubt at all I will start swimming in the UK and will end my swim in France, but that is just the end result, that is just the goal. The important bit, the bit which has changed my life is the stuff in-between. Since deciding to take this challenge on I have met so many people and made so many friends; Big Bob, Fiona, Little Bob, Lindy, Mike, Bella, Shoichi, David, Leo, Paul, Martina, Evo, Angus and so many many more. I have swum in the sea in 18 degrees and in 2 degrees, I have swam in the sun, in the snow, in the rain, in the light, in the dark; I have seen the sun rise from the sea, seen it set. I have seen fish below me, even been bitten by some. I have been taken 12 feet in the air on large waves then thrown like a rag doll onto the beach and I have swum in the beauty of Durdle Door and the briskness of Tooting Bec. I have met 21 charities who I will be swimming for and been interviewed by TV and Radio. I have been invited to events to talk and I have gone to events to listen. I could write all day today just about my experiences so far, and this is only since last April. It’s all about the Journey! So sure I will swim the channel, of course I will, but it will be the journey that I will always remember, the journey and the new friends I have made along the way.

So to my new Latvian friend whose name I never got; thank you for reminding me what life sometimes makes me forget, thank you for reminding me to enjoy the journey, for that is what life is truly about.

A true story believe it or not.