November 5, 1999

To Diana Hoff upon her reaching the halfway point:

Congratulations!  We shall go the distance, you and I.  You have reached
the crux of the journey and are now headed toward land instead of away from
it.  I wish for you only the best.  On land men talk of "races going to the
swift" and "battles to the strong."   Though we may be both swift and
strong, races and battles are not our endeavors.  We are composers in a
symphony of life.  Which of us first reaches the crescendo is of little
consequence.  Far more important is to savor the music in the miles.

If your ocean is the same as mine, no day passes without some little ache
to be overcome or ignored.  The sun's arrows pierce the will.  Past and
future blend in a never-ending sameness of days.  Storms of desire for
things that we do not have threaten to wash away patience.  We endure the
solitude apart from those we love.  We've imprisoned our bodies, skeleton
and sinew, within the slave galley.  We've chained our energy to the
achievement of our purpose.  Waves sap our strength and the wind beats our
clothes to flapping rags.  Still we row.

So, on we go.  Each passing mile chips away doubt.  Meteors and shooting
stars light our way.  The naked ocean rewards us with the privilege of
space.  Though I am proud to share this space with you.  It is a sector
large enough to exercise all quarters of our determination.  Each stroke
takes us closer to our softer lives.  Having struggled for a time, the ease
will be all the more sweet.  I cannot speak for you in this, but in having
rediscovered the power and majesty of being simply human, I cannot wait to
get home.  Be safe.  Stay well.  Keep rowing, Barbados is just over the
horizon.   

Respectfully,
Tori Murden     

PS.  Could you keep a lookout for a very nice Sony Digital Camcorder?