|  It
is sadly true, but the older we get, the faster "time"
seems to go by. Last week, the time I spent on the Glacier, for
me now, seems like a distant memory. As kids, we seemed
to yearn for the "tomorrow after tomorrow". If only we
could now, bottle up those days, re-live those precious moments,
... , again, ... , and stop wishing away
the moment.
Last week for me, brought back two years of my life. I felt like
the 19 year old seaman apprentice I was in 1964, when I reported
on board the Glacier. Life then seemed like looking through the
most beautiful colored glass, life in the military was new, adventures
lay ahead, I was on my own for the first time in my life, ... ,
the Antarctic changed my life. All of those feelings
came back as soon as I stepped on board.
At the age of 60, by my constant reading and "trying"
to keep up with all of the newest ideas and "technology"
items, I find myself changing the way I view things, people, and
events. Last week was no exception. Imagine,
I spent over $1,500 to fly, live in a hotel, and get around, for
doing "volunteer" work. Living on the East coast and doing
this kind of work on the West coast was something that I never gave
any real serious consideration to, until, that day two weeks ago,
when I ordered my plane ticket, made hotel and car rental reservations,
and packed my bags. Those two days on board the Glacier were the
highlight of many events I have done in my life. And, most importantly,
I was able to share two years of my life, with my 19 year old son.
Todd was able to "relive" some of what I experienced by
working on board Glacier, touring the ship where I lived for two
years, and by listening to others who shared their lives on board
Glacier,either in the Coast Guard or the Navy.
Looking forward to doing some more volunteer work in the near future,
I remain ...
Sincerely,
Peter J. Benac........
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