Jonathan “Sebastian” Seagull - June 3rd, 2013

When I was a teenager I came around a very interesting book. I think it belong to my father. The name of the book is Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Back. It is a very short book, you can read it in less than thirty minutes, but the message last a life long. The book tells the story of an uncommon seagull who decides to break the rules and master the art of flying, above and beyond any other seagull had ever done. And by doing so Jonathan did alienate himself from the others and he was seen as a strange element. At the end, his passion and tenacity to become something better changed the way all seagulls behave and a new normal was created.

I recommended this book to my new friend Sebastian Henn. I met Sebastian for first time two days ago; he was hoping to catch a ride to Steamboat Springs hitchhiking from somewhere along my route. He was lucky I love to pick up hitchhikers, so I emptied my front seat, threw his heavy backpack in the trunk and for a few hours I was going to have a companion on my trip. Sebastian had been traveling for three months all over the US, from North Carolina to California; he had found his way by hitchhiking, using buses or whatever form he could find. He camped most of the time in cheap campgrounds or wherever he could plant his tent. And he did all this being nineteen years old of age.

He decided to live that experience and use it as an inspiration to write, which is his passion. He thought what better time to do it than before he starts college at the end of this summer. Sebastian is a quiet guy, he did not say much, probably because he was a little intimidated by me, so I did most of the talk at the beginning. Soon he relaxed a little and started talking about his life, his family and his passions. Pretty soon I knew that Sebastian was going to be a great spark to a lot of interesting thoughts, so I offered him to use my bunk bed in my trailer and he gladly accepted.

We arrived to Steamboat a couple of hours later and we walked the town, had dinner, and had time to talk about all kind of things. Of course me telling him about my journey, the reasons for it and all it had happened to me in the last six months was very impressive to him. The funny thing is I was a lot more impressed with his adventure than I was with mine. But he brought a good point, I gave up a well establish successful life for the possibility of adventure and a new life, and he was very impressed by that. It was so refreshing to meet a young man like him, with no fear, no boundaries, full of opportunity. I really think I was very jealous of him, as I wish I could have understood life as well as he does as such a young age.

Of course I talked a lot about Sue, all she meant to me and how wonderful life can be by sharing it with such a special person. He listened, he listened a lot, and after a few minutes of silence, he said something that touched so deeply I still get very emotional just to think about it, he said: “I wish I had met your wife, she sounds like a very special person”.  I know Sue would have loved Sebastian and she would have one more time become a motherly role to another smart, passionate, brave young man.

I know we will cross paths again in the future. I hope he reads the book I read a long time ago. I actually gave Sue that book for her birthday a few years back and I carry it as one of those special treasures in life. Jonathan “Sebastian” Seagull, I wish you the best, keep living life with such an intensity and your life will be an exceptional experience.