A 29 year old woman from New York is about to become the first American woman to sail, solo, around the world. Cole Brauer is only a few days from the East coast and completion of her race. She has shown up on national TV news program's and she's making her feat "sound bites" about being an inspiration to other "girls". At one point, she stated that when someone say's something is impossible, it upsets her and she is highly motivated. Video she set up shows her going through rigorous exercise to maintain her fitness as she has to be an entire crew of skills and action. Bravo, small explanation mark.
Another young New York sailor competed annually in the America's cup race, trophy's and partying. I wonder if the race involves a drug test for winner's and competitors. As the doctor in me, past high-school, college athlete in 4 sports, I saw behavior and activity that might well be consistent with stimulant use and steroid use. If this is the case, then the "record" portion should be re-considered, and labeled unofficial. If no enhancers were found, then, my bad. One has to note and ask, if there is reason to question. The cost of sailing around the world is above what most American's will earn in their lifetimes. This is not a sandlot sport, but one of privilege. Tough 4 years of racing for the university of Hawaii, another little question about the participants.
Both cruises and sailing have no attraction to me, neither do rock climbing, bungee jumping or but for different reasons. For me to be inspired, the intent has to be aligned with positive outcome. St. Augustine wrote that it is better to have fewer wants, than the resources to attain your wants. There is and has been a long-standing philosophical debate about "wants" versus "needs", extending into the St. Francis voluntary poverty, the practices of monks and students in monastery's of many faith's. In the Judeo-Christian belief, this is the assurance that God provides us all that we need. It is an element of natural law in the practices of the many indigenous cultures and peoples. So, the question must be asked: Why/how is America so invested in making wants a reality for a few, and desire in the many?
North and South America were "discovered" and "mapped" upon the support and funding of Kings and Queens. Each European nation, with sailing ships capable of crossing the Atlantic, crossed the Atlantic with regions claimed in proportion to the size of the fleet and nation. Great Britain and Spain planted the most national flags on the shores of the new world. The shores of our nation were first held by a wave of European's arriving in 1654, They came from England, Scotland, Ireland, the Scandinavian regions and Georgia. They were upperclass and trade guild original emigrants, seeking a land to thrive without the persecution of Catholic and Church of England divide and punishment. They brought their farming, hunting and other trade traditions, and for about 50 years, necessity and tradition led to a lack of the pursuit of "wants" and gain. As safety, stability and opportunity became part of the American experiment, Europeans of most of the western nations with gain and opportunity as the driving force, and this, perchance is how our nation had a core shift to wants over needs.
So inspiration must, for me, have an outcome that is whole self defining.
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