Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Diana Nyad

A  L  O  H  A !
Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) (2006 Digital Remaster) by Bill Conti on Grooveshark
" Oh God!

The Ocean is SO Vast,

and I am SO small! "

Every Offshore Sailor EVER
myself included






"  The sea

 - this truth must be confessed - 

has no generosity. 

No display of (hu)manly qualities - 

courage, hardihood, endurance, 

faithfulness - has ever 

been known to touch

 its irresponsible consciousness

 of power. "


Joseph Conrad 









" Heroism

 is endurance

 for one moment 

more. "



George F. Kennan 







" Endurance 

is patience 

concentrated. "



Thomas Carlyle 









" Endurance is nobler 

than strength, 

and patience

 than beauty. "


John Ruskin 






Arriving in Key West
is always an occasion,
but especially so
when you are Diana Nyad
completing
what you have attempted,
and failed,
for 35 years.

5 Failures;
Now Preparatory
Efforts.

Most of us
feel wise
for accepting
our limitations
and uncompleted
dreams.

That is the hallmark
of maturity
we assure ourselves.

But Diana
(a goddess's name)
at age 64
became the 
First Human
to swim the Florida Straits
from Cuba.

110 Miles.

53 Hours.

Swimming.

She also set a
New Record:
Longest ocean swim
 without a shark cage
 or flippers.

The only other person,
(also a woman)
to  "swim" the straits:

Australian Susie Maroney,

in 1997 at age 22
in a shark cage.

"The cage glided on ocean currents
 and enabled Maroney
 to make the journey
 in just 25 hours."

Chicago Tribune
LINK.


Diana's first attempt
was in 1978
at age 28.

It was the agonizing stings
of Jellyfish,
not sheer distance
that defeated her before.
This time she wore
protective (constricting?)
gear.

" Endure and persist;

 this pain will turn

 to good

 by and by. "

Ovid 


This has been SO true
in my life.
Wishing YOU
all that is Good,
by and by.

"If it's not right,
it's not over."

                                     Fondly, cloudia