I am surprised again and again by some of the things that have happened as a direct result of my choice to begin this adventure that I have embarked upon.
I am absolutely amazed by the amount of email I get from people telling me about something I have inspired them to do. One person said that they had realised that they needed to sell their house to move on after a loss, and that my actions had brought this realisation home. Someone else told me that they had gone and done something entirely for themselves, after spending a lifetime looking after others and never considering their own needs. I had a song wrote about my sale which was used for charity fund-raising.
I got an email back in April from Misty, who said that I had inspired to to start a painting. This is what she said in her first email to me:-
“Well… hello Mr. Usher. My name is Misty and I live the in USA. I read your story online as did millions of others and I wanted to write to thank you. I am an artist always looking for inspiration and your story did just that. This message thing kinda sucks because I can’t attach any pictures to it…. but today I finished a sketch for a future painting.. inspired by your story. If you can close your eyes… picture a blank canvas with the outline of a man (you).. and inside his outline are all kinds of images… the Eiffel Tower in the left leg, a tropical paradise on the left thigh, an arctic glacier on the right lower leg, African safari on the left thigh. The Great Wall of China spans your torso with a volcano rising out of the right chest and shoulder. Island Gods cover the right arm, and mountains cover the left arm. And finally… from the collarbone to the top of the head is Space… the ultimate place to travel. My colors in my art are very vivid and bright, and poetry often accompanies the painting. So… before you go up for bid and take your keys, I wanted to share that with you as a little push to say that someone half way around the world gets it…. and here in my house… we wish you all the best. Go for it…. and live your life down to the last little minute! Maybe when I finish the piece… I’ll be able to send you a photo….. Thanks again! Misty.”
So today I received another email from Misty, and her painting is finished, and she sent me a photograph of the finished work. She also sent me the words of the poem around the painting, which read as follows:-
Tragedy forces change sometimes to scary to entertain — some crumble, some thrive, some go insane — Ian took a dive — sold his life down to the last little bit — one neat, tidy package all up for bid — my life isn’t tragic — but such an adventure opens the universe WIDE — hair blowing — fear aside — the sights are glorious!!
When I decided it was time for me to move on I could never have dreamed that someone halfway around the world from me would do such an amazing thing, inspired by my actions.
Thank you Misty, I LOVE the painting. You and others who write to me with your ideas, stories and insirations are making this such a wonderful adventure, more so than I could have ever hoped for.
