Parting Shot
November 30 Update
Day: 54 — Position: N17 55’ W170 38’
Odometer since Waikiki: about 1,840M
Distance to Northern Marianas: 1,463M
Sea surface temperature: 82.6F - 28.1C
OCEAN ROWING RECORDS AS RUNNING TOTALS
Solo career total in days by Waikiki: 925 now 979 (New World Record)
Overall career total in days by Waikiki: 1,009 now 1,063 (New World Record)
Solo career total in miles by Waikiki: 22,173M now about 23,967M (New World Record)
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Overall career total in miles by Waikiki: 25,153M now about 26,947M
** Ralph Tuijn (NL) leads this with 35,635M
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Before I carry on, let me inform everyone that the forecasts have downgraded the severity of conditions that I may see over the next few days. The only issue will be a brief period of SE winds that the approaching low will bring the night of Fri-Sat which will create an orthogonal train of wind waves riding atop the long fetch NE swells. That will make for some rough seas, but not as bad as we feared. Then the seas will become more orderly from the east.
During the month of November, I used my updates to demonstrate solidarity with my Mo-Bros who grew a moustache over the last 30 days to participate in the annual global Movember.com campaign. Together with Mo-Sisters who stepped up in support of their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, we engaged in conversations about men’s health issues ranging from prostate cancer and testicular cancer to depression and suicide.
As men, we grit our teeth instead of giving into quivering in the chin before the tears flow; we instead cry inside. We were raised to “man up” and to face the music, we hold our heads high because we are supposed to be tough. Appearing invincible and proud got us kudos all our lives.
I wanted to give you a glimpse of what’s simmering out of sight inside the head of a seemingly happy goal driven adventurer. I may have a reasonably attractive Instagram account putting on a good show full of fun images of rowing, sailing and adventure. Yet we are all human, each with our own frailties.
My message has been that it is OK to talk about our mental challenges, to air them in company of trusted friends. Individualism only goes so far. I have learned from my human powered travels around the world that vulnerability engenders kindness even from strangers. Allow others into your life, let them be part of your journey, whether that is a physical one demanding sweat equity like mine or a less well defined one which we call life.
I hope that you will participate in the next round of Movember campaign in November 2022. The Movember Foundation runs the international Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com — please give it a serious look.
Erden.