I receive quite a few emails about my books, journeys and so on. Occasionally I receive one that makes me realise that the whole thing has been worthwhile, if only to pass on the spark to somebody else. “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” This was a wonderful email to receive:
Having recently purchased a bike to get about town with (I detest the London Underground, constantly being herded around like cattle) and having some problems with the chain I headed to Waterstones to find a book on fixing ones bike. There, I stumbled upon ‘Moods of Future Joys’…and it has left me in limbo! As soon as I finished it I of course purchased the sequel, struggled to put it down, and now having completed the two I am left unsure of what to do…
Well I know what I want to do. I want to wander back to Australia my way… slowly, be it by bike or whatever. Your books have re inspired me. For the last year since I left Sydney I have been working in London. Hospitality really doesn’t excite me. Nor does a desk job. The only thing that makes me smile is photography…and wandering where I want when I want to. I watch people and listen to what they say. I am scared of one day waking up and being boring. No longer having anything left to talk about…nothing exciting me.I don’t like the materialism of the world I live in, how people pride themselves on having the biggest ‘everything’, the most expensive ‘everything’. I doesn’t feel real. It all feels so…fake.
I hate that being 22 I am expected to want to party all the time…drink myself into oblivion constantly. I did that when I was 18. Young and dumb partying in Sydney, chain smoking, trying new ‘exciting’ substances, sleeping with as many people as possible. I grew so tired of it! I left and discovered London is very much the same.
I’mm rattling shit I know. Your books have just got me to thinking again. About how much happier and content I feel when I am wandering, carefree…existing rather than just living. Doing what I want, not what is expected.
Thank you. I am sure this is one of thousands of e-mails you have received but thank you. Anything is possible in this world.
Mark
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Wow! Here I sit, back in Sydney, browsing through your blogs and trying to sort out my head some more, when I stumble upon this. AMAZING! I had completely forgotten I had written it!
SO where am I now with my life? I went for a trip, cycled the length of Europe and loved it. Felt content with that, at the time, so flew back to Sydney to follow a life of responsibility. That is, school. While I should be studying just now I find myself browsing your blog and many others looking for a little bit of re assurance. Well, actually, looking at peoples biographies and scanning quickly to see how many of them went to University…trying to decided if that should be my path. Three years spent in one spot? Studying??!! Crazy. We shall see.
Let me thank you again Alastair, your writing got me moving. You inspired me to cross a continent. Now I want to cross them all! Actually, funnily enough, am learning how to sail also so that when I make it to Cape Town (one day) I can sail across the oceans and have the skills and experience for it. Amazing!
Thank you.
That must have been quite odd to read one of your own emails on a website!