614 nm in 24hrs

My dad passed away in his sleep last night after a long stay in hospital. He reached the ripe old age of 87 just last week. There still remain some things I would have liked to share with him.

What drives some men to wander about the earth's most uninhabited regions at such speed? What do they seek (or attempt to escape)?

This obsession with speed we all appear to share to some degree has begun to seriously alarm me. We fly thousands of kms in a few hours, bypassing all the humanity, nature and enrichment that a similar trip made at walking pace or even by road might add to our lives.

Whoever started this strange and quite unnatural quest for speed has a lot to answer for IMHO. Next time the great-circle traveller traverses the globe at high-speed, they might wonder about all those that live down below, or across the horizon. And what they're missing.

Very soon, I expect to also have to say good-byes to Polar bears, Emperor penguins and Bengal tigers. What can a simple man do? So, maybe better to take the high-speed route and just whizz-away all the worries and distress if you can do it, after all?!

Thanks for your comprehension.

So sorry to hear about your dad, Airship. My condolences to you & your family. I lost my dad a couple of years ago as well. Although we tell ourselves they have gone somewhere more peaceful; a place to keep watch over us, I can't help but wonder if they are feeling the same loss, sadness and longing. May we all rest in peace, here or here after.

With regards to competition... while the physical origins pre-date any recorded history, I'm certain that testosterone and the male psyche played the primary part. Thank God a man's testosterone depletes as he grows older, otherwise we'd never live to be old enough to tell our children how fast we were!

Not all competition is bad, or futile. It hones our pursuits and in many ways, has made our world a better place to live. Equally, it's made it worse. Far too much emphasis is placed on performances that are separated by milliseconds. We have a society that has made role models out of competitors, when in fact the real winners are people that have a positive impact on those around them, or parents who worked to give their children a better life.

That said, I'm sure you father looking down at you and smiling, proud of his biggest accomplishment. God bless...