Train station in Fes, Morocco.
From threat to discovery is my blog concept for 2019. Often we view things as a threat, either psychologically or physically. Threats can stop us in our tracks. In my view every threat rather real or imagined or induced by outside forces, can lead to discovery. All we have to do is get on board, explore and keep an open mind.
When my son was 4 years-old I invited several of his friends over to our house with their mothers. Our big front yard gave them lots of room to run and play. We lived on a dead-end street where very few cars used the road. While the boys were playing, they started running as a herd in circles and then headed toward the street. A few of the moms started screaming for them to stop. Maybe the moms knew more about herd mentality than I did. I was not alarmed.
As the boys’ speed and direction toward the street continued, the moms stood up from their chairs and raised their voices louder, “Stop.” The boys kept running. Just as they neared the street a car approached and it was then that I yelled “Harry, stop.” He did. He turned and looked my way, raising his arms for the others to stop. Seeing the boys, the driver of the car stopped too. The threat was gone. Some of the moms grabbed their boys by the arm and scolded them. I hugged my son. Because I rarely raise my voice my son knew immediately that something was wrong. At least that’s how I interpreted the event. I discovered the power of restraint.
Poya parade in Sri Lanka.
I tell this story because as a writer I choose to use my scream voice only when the situation truly merits it. I don’t want to use it as a rhetorical device to create unwarranted tension or deliver titillating thrills or to put myself in a seat of authority or at the top of Google rankings. I want to commit myself to this because at times I have been guilty of it. It’s so easy to stray. On one side everything becomes terrifying, dangerous, sensational or guilt-ridden when the scream voice is employed. On the other side everything is magnificent, perfect and unbelievably awesome. Such a tone may get attention, but it is undeserved attention. If that voice appears, a good reason should follow. I choose the middle ground. Where things are murky, argued over in good faith, authentic. Curiosity unleashes discovery, not threats. I believe our world can be a better, more interesting and knowing place. This is how I find pleasure in my work, in its results, and whatever value it may have to the society in which I live.
Every time I get off of a train, plane or boat I discover something new. I might be happy, scared, curious or disappointed. I know to look further. That’s where the real understanding, knowledge and experience come from. When sober voices raise their octave, we can assess and take action when warranted. Like the boys running toward the street, if our voices are always screaming we won’t know the difference between the mundane and the exciting, the beautiful or the dangerous.
Join me at Who’s Taking the Train to read about discoveries around the world and within.
Despite having family and friends, many people choose to travel alone. I am one of them, mostly. Professor Constanza Bianchi, from Queensland University Business School in Australia studied the matter. She reported that when solo travelers leave home they are choosing “freedom, uncompromised fun and meeting new people” over the companionship of a friend or spouse. I have just returned from a trip to Austin, Texas with a friend to see a friend. My travel companion Joan and I have been friends since childhood. We met Susanne while in college. She lived in the Chicago area, but now lives 30 miles south of Austin with her husband, Randy. They have been Texans for only a few months. Joan and I promised to visit when they got settled. Due to time constraints we didn’t 
Traveling in a motor coach
Where have you been? That’s the first thing I want to know when I meet people. What were the moments you most remember while traveling? How did travel change you? However, I live in a part of the world where most social encounters begin with a person’s name, their occupation and place of residence. It’s awkward to fit my travel questions in. People are suspect. Why do I want to know this? These people have retained some semblance of a private life. People are hesitant. They’ve been bored listening to other people tell their travel stories. They don’t want to be boring. People are hurried. They don’t have time for something that requires them to pause and reflect. I understand, but still I want to know.
“It is better to travel well than to arrive” – Buddha
It was 6:45am when Susan McConnell and I stood on the corner of Haegers Bend Road and Lake Cook Road in Barrington Hills, Illinois. Sprinkles of sunlight hit the pavement. The air was cool and pleasant. The sky spread its blue hue for as far as we could see. It was a good day for a walk. Sometimes travel doesn’t need to include flights, trains or cars, nor exotic places and people. The walking journey, or spaziergang as the Germans call it, is a chance to slow down, observe, and refresh one’s outlook. As residents of Barrington, Illinois Susan and I had driven down Lake Cook Road thousands of times. Yet we had never walked its length and knew of no one who had. After traveling across the world this past year, I longed to explore my own backyard. 
I must see the total eclipse. “It’s life changing,” he said. “Everything you thought you knew is put into question.” Okay, he had been drinking when he said that but he is not one to sensationalize.
Heading toward Chicago on a Metra commuter train I didn’t notice the woman who sat down beside me until she said, “I hope you don’t feel crowded.” She had pushed a large piece of luggage toward her legs to clear the aisle. There was a Cub’s game that day and the train was packed with fans. The woman also held a small backpack. She was going somewhere beyond a day trip to Chicago.