STOLL/Proposal for What is the nature of freedom ©2006. smkstoll@yahoo.com
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To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Dennis concluded with an ultimatum, "If you don't want to come, I will find someone
else." In a sense, I had already made the decision, but it if weren't for Dennis I may never have
had the courage to leave. It took three years to save the money, plan and prepare (including
knee and eye surgery) for our global bicycle trek.
Just five days before the terrorist attacks in New York City, I left behind everything I
thought I was, and made the first small pedal stroke of a four-year quest that covered 25,752
miles (the equatorial circumference is 24,902.44 miles) through 50 countries and 6 continents.
My adventures were full of more joy than suffering, but I discovered that it was the
misadventures that forged my character and revealed my true self, like suffering from heat
exhaustion and realizing that everything I owned was worth one glass of water, and if I had one
last wish before I died it would be to say goodbye to all my loved ones. During my trip, I was
overwhelmed by the beauty of the world and its people, especially the kindness of strangers,
who would often feed me their last morsel of food. Somewhere in India, I stopped looking for
answers and learned to cherish the never-ending mysteries of life and self as they unfolded.
One mystery was that dozens of times a day, in every country, people of every race, sex,
age, language, religion and culture asked me the same questions. Most had never read a
newspaper or watched a television. Some had never seen a foreigner, heard of America, or
even knew in which country they lived. The questions provided me with insight to human
nature -- that we all are traveling a path from struggle and survival, through a quest for
meaning and happiness, ultimately seeking enlightenment. I begin with stories that illustrate
the most common questions people asked me throughout my journey, and end with the least
common questions, but it can be read in any order, including chronologically by following the
chapter key on the map.
This is my exploration of the world both external and internal, and the meaning of life in a
microcosm. Was the choice to do what I did truly mine? Was I driven to it? Or was I swept
away by circumstances? What choices were other people making? What is the nature of
freedom?
