Motivation
Today I had another wash (very exciting, but perhaps a little trumatic for Al who was in the prime rowing postion right in front of me again). I was lovely and clean and letting the wind do its drying magic while I rinsed my shorts and tops. I only had one top left when a large wave came over the side completly soaking me, washing my clean clothing into the footwell and covering everything back in salt! Well I guess we cannot have everything...
Apart from that there has not be much happening except rowing, eating and sleeping (no fish today). As we spend hour after hour on the oars it gives us the opportunity, time and space to think about a great deal of things. We have asked each other most questions (mostly food based) like; What is your faverote ice cream, braekfast, bread, soft drink ect. When the question "what is your favourite knot" is asked we know it is time to change partners.....
Today I have been thinking about motivation. In our cabin is a growing number of little messages, scrawled onto the cabin ceiling. Some are from friends we made in Gran Canaria as we prepaired the boat but most are from each other when we change shift. Most are a bit silly really but bring a smile to your face:
"Tough times never last, but tough people do" (Robert Schuller)
"If you are not in pain you are not rowing hard enough"
"Is this endeavour tough or am I just weak?"
And so they go on...
The fantastic messesages we have had from people reading our blog and on facebook (over 1000 people have been vising it each day!) are fantastic motovation. So many kind and encouraging comments are really very touching and really do make a huge difference to our adventure. Many outline what an amazing challenge we are undertaking, how we must be brave to do this or have some sort of great strength. This got me thinking about some of the reasions for us being out here. For Simon and I one of the main reasions is raising money for Cancer research.
I think nearly everyone has been affected by cancer,whether it be personally or of a close friend or relative. I cant think of any other condition which is less discrimatory, it does not care if you are old or young, what colour you are, what sex you are, if you are a kind or selfish person, a parent or brother: it can affect us all.
I started thinking of my friend Vicky back in Falmouth who was diagnosed with Lymphnoma cancer last summer and has been undergoing Chemotherapy up until Christmas, she was making exclent progress and just starting radiogrphy when I left.
While rowing over the past weeks my bum has been hurting, I often do not get enough sleep, I have been sick due to the rough seas and sometimes I have had to sleep in a damp bed due to the weather. However, I know that things will be much better in 12 or 24hrs time, my bum will feel much better after a pink pill and I will not feel ill as soon as i get used to the swell. But people like Vicky undergoing treatment for cancer simply do not seem to be able to avoid the symptoms of the treatment.
I simply cannot emagine the courage and tenacity that Vicky and other sufferers are required to apply simply to get through each day. Throughout all this time she has always been positive, brave and has had good humour (at least when i have been over to visit and take the mick as we have always done to each other in the past).
Our trip will be over in a few weeks time,
but her and others treatment and its symptons will go on long after this rowing adventure is forgotten.
I really do not want this post to sound corney and I appoligise if it does. However, while most people have been fast asleep we have been up three times and rowed for 6 hours in wind, rain and large swells and still this is nothing to what a cancer sufferer is expected to cope with. They have a daily struggle to cope with these symptoms and find such increadable strength to carry on focusing on getting better.
I do not know a great deal about the desease, I understand that over the past 10 years there has been some astonishing advancements in the treatment of the condition and that the survival rate of suferers has dramatically increased due to the ongoing research which is being conducted and ultimately costs money.
So, if you are reading this and have not yet got round to making a donation you intended to do, please do it now (click 'Charity' in the menu). It might be a nice idea to just give someting up for a week and donate that money. If you normally have a bottle of wine on a Friday evening, just for once don't have it and donate those few pounds. If you are a chockaholic, try to go without for just one week and donate those few pounds. See if you can find a vice which costs you money and give it up for just one week and feel good for knowing that the money from that vice is going to a very worthwhile cause which if affect someone close to you at sometime in your life. (Men: beware applying this strategy to the purchase of Valentine's gifts...)
For those who have already donated thank you very much indeed, we have been blown away by people's generosity.
My next post will be more light hearted but we all need to reflect from time to time and this is my time on our trip to do it.
I would really like to wish Vicky and everyone like her the very best with there endeavours and I sincearly hope that they reach there destination safe, healthy and in good spirit.
Steve and the Tusmobile team
