January 30th, 2011
Total Distance for today: 24 miles
Total Distance for Tour: approx. 859 miles
LOCATION: Anderson, SC
STATUS: Loving my new Couchsurfing hosts, Alley and Levi, and their friends. I even met another Austin. I had a great time hanging out in Anderson, and I’m glad to have made some new friends.
Fire
Sunday’s skate was as tough and amazing as expected. I skated uphill and against the wind a lot. I fought the battle, and I kept going. I had the fire of encouragement from you, my friends, driving me forward this time. You mean more than you know. Trust me.
Someone stopped me today and yelled, “Austin! It’s all pointless, but don’t give up. I promise!” He left just as quickly. I’ll call that a play on reverse psychology. He was testing me – pushing me to take the blank slate handed to me by life, whether it be great, small, beautiful, or ugly and make something amazing of it. That’s my job. That’s your job.
The lessons of this journey are as much for you as they are for me. If today burns like fire, and the oxygen is sucked from your lungs. If that little nagging voice in your head says “it’s all pointless,” then it is your job to burn hotter than your own pain. It is your job to defy meaninglessness and affirm your meaning and purpose. It is your job to create it.
