Here is the latest Scoutmaster Minute from 6 October 2020:
My father used to say, "Can't never did anything." This was usually a response to me saying that I was unable to complete a task or a challenge. Born premature, sickly and suffering with childhood asthma, many games and chores seemed outside of my reach. Yet, with the goading of "can't never did anything," I would attempt and either achieve or fail in a way that I saw the task as surmountable. I hated to hear "can't never did anything," but over time this became my anthem and I stopped letting fear and doubt hold me back. Years later, as a 19 year old entering my last week in Airborne School, I called my dad and he asked me, "Now why are you going to jump out of an airplane?" To which I replied, "Why not? You have called too late to talk me out of it."
Fear can paralyze us if we let it. Self-doubt often proves our biggest stumbling block to reaching our potential.
Fourteen years ago today, Briton Jason Lewis completed a journey around the world using only human power – no sails, no motors, no help. This 13-year excursion covered 46,505 miles, and was dubbed 'Expedition 360.' Lewis began the adventure with fellow adventurer Steve Smith in 1994. Starting in France, they mountain biked to Portugal. They built a pedal boat and set across the Atlantic. Once in North America, Lewis roller bladed across the continent. During this portion of the journey, a drunk driver hit him in Colorado. After nine months recovering from two broken legs, he finished crossing North American in 1996. With Smith, Lewis spent 53 days pedaling his boat across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii. This is where Smith ended his journey. After walking across Hawaii, Lewis paddled across the Pacific, cycling across Australia along the way. Reaching Asia in East Timor, he kayaked from there through Singapore and started cycling again across Asia. During this time, he was arrested in Egypt under suspicion of spying. Finally in 2007, he finished his journey where he started at the Greenwich Meridian Line, cycling and pulling his paddleboat in tow.
On top of the broken legs, during the journey Lewis twice survived malaria, sepsis, a bout of mild schizophrenia, and a crocodile attack near Australia.
Undoubtedly, Jason Lewis understood that "can't never did anything." Before carrying out this 13-year human-powered circumnavigation, Lewis had never crossed an ocean before. Nor had he roller bladed, kayaked, or ridden a bike for more than a few miles.
A Scout is Brave.