December 3, 2007
My
friend Evel Knievel died this past week. I had called him just 2 weeks
ago. He sounded good and we spoke about how he was doing, Thanksgiving
football games, things here in Thailand & how great they were going
for us and what he was doing for the holidays. Although it came as no
surprise when I heard the news, his health had been in decline for a
while, I'm truly saddened by this happening and am feeling the loss...
however, as crazy as it sounds I feel blessed, as my life was truly
enhanced for having known him.
You
may not be aware of it, but he was the one who was largely responsible
for giving me the courage to pursue my lifelong dream... to take a
chance, pack it all in and move here to Thailand. People find their
inspirations and courage in diverse and interesting ways along this
bumpy road of life, sometimes through religion... but I guess you could
say that instead of finding religion, I found Evel Knievel.
Evel
wasn't just a celebrity, by popular opinion he was elevated to the
elite group of American icons, like Charles Lindbergh, Louis Armstrong,
James Dean, Marilyn Monroe or Babe Ruth. Some of his personal effects
were already in the Smithsonian! In the course of the first few days of
our acquaintance, I realized that I was in the company of a person
who'd seen and done it all. Not many had the opportunity to spend 5
minutes with such a man, let alone share an afternoon or even days
hanging out together. Hell... we even wound up going to a titty-bar
together one night.. I'll save that story for another time. But being
put in such a rare situation, I knew that I wouldn't let an opportunity
like that go by without garnering some bit of information, insight or
at least a great story first hand from a guy who'd been around the Horn
the wrong way.
So
I asked him to describe for me, if he even could, what it was like the
moment he rode out into Wembley Stadium prior to jumping 13
double-decker busses; unfortunately, one stunt in which he would not
emerge victorious. I mean, what was it like to appear before that
heaving throng of people, like a Roman Gladiator, not knowing if you
were even going to be alive in 15 minutes! It had to be more than just
a "rush" riding out there to 100,000 cheering people, half of whom I'm
sure were there hoping to see him bite the dust...
After
posing the question, with barely time for a hiccup he replied, "You
know what I was doing a half hour before taking that jump?". "What?" I
asked. "Taking a nap" he cooly replied. "Taking a nap? Taking a nap!!
How the hell could you be taking a nap?" I asked. "How could you sleep?
Weren't you scared?". "Of course I was scared!... I was so scared I was
shaking in my boots... but that's what makes me a Daredevil. If you're
not scared you're just plain fucking stupid". My first thought was to
say "But wouldn't you be stupid to even attempt..." never-mind. I knew
better than to insinuate such a thing so I kept my mouth shut. "And I
knew I wasn't going to make that one", meaning he had a hunch he
wouldn't succeed the jump. "But you did it anyway!... Why???". "Because
I had to." he said matter-of-factly. "I had to follow my heart. And my
heart was telling me to do it. I had no choice. Let me tell you
something Sean..." he said staring me square in the face with his
piercing blue eyes from not 2 feet away and shaking his index finger,
"It is far better for you to FACE YOUR FEAR, follow your heart and be scarred by failure, then it is to live in the shadow of life...
as most do, never having tasted the sweetness of success, as they have
neither the guts or the brains to do so... So which are you?"
I
went home that night with those words ringing in my head, taunting me
for not doing what I have always dreamed of doing. It was at that
moment that I realized how 100% dead on he was. That if I didn't do
what was nestled deep within me, then I would be failing myself. It was
then that I decided to do what it was that was calling me all those
years. It was time to just DO IT! Damn the consequences... just GET OFF
MY ASS AND DO IT!!!
The
next day when he had a moment and were sitting & talking again. I
told him that what he'd said the day before had a profound impact &
that I'd been thinking about it all night. He continued then "So what's
in your heart?" I told him that I wanted to move to Thailand and open
an art gallery/woodcarving shop. "A wood carving shop in Thailand
huh?... them're some strong people". "How do you know that?" I asked.
"I KNOW! They've never been colonized... they stand on their own....
Strong people." he snapped back. "So Thailand eh? Do you know anyone
there? What, you have a gal or something over there?". "Yeah, there's a
gal, but I've been dreaming of this for decades now anyway". "Does she
love you?" he came back with, seeming to be interested more in the love
aspect of it all. "Well, she says she does & I believe her". "Then
it's alright" he said immediately. I said "So you're telling me to do
this? You're giving me your blessing?" "If you don't do it then you're
a pussy and don't deserve anything!" he said. It was
that moment that I knew my destiny would be realized... thanks to this
foul-mouthed, surly, grit of a legend. And that even if I were to be
"scarred by failure", then it still would have all been worth it...
because I had faced my fear and followed my heart.
Evel
was a real inspiration and I feel privileged to have been able to call
him my friend. He opened my eyes and set me on a path for this
wonderful change in my life. The last time I saw him, I thanked him for
giving me the confidence, courage and the kick in the ass to move over
here and get this new chapter of my life going. I told him I was
forever indebted to him and thanked him from the bottom of my heart.
"Sean," he said, "that's about the greatest compliment anyone's ever
paid me".
He
gave me pride in myself... and with his words as my guide, I made my
own "jump" to which I can say I've had very happy landings.
So I
raise my glass to my pal Evel Knievel, and I hope you all do the
same... to the man who served as my ultimate inspiration to get over
here, who gave me the guts to find glory & become a winner... but
most of all, to follow my heart and to live the dream I've had for
decades... and so far it's been a wonderful dream. And advice which we
all should take take to heart and use as the springboard to make our
own personal jumps... cause if we don't, then we're "just plain
stupid"... just ask Evel Knievel.
RIP EK
I miss you all but life is great,
Sean |