what keeps you alive?

"we either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. the amount of work is the same"
-don juan matus



there was a scottish man who lived on the folkland islands, investigating penguins for 2 years. at the end of his studies, he concluded that there had been a huge deterioration in the number of penguins living upon the island since the folklands war. he brought his findings to the government. they told him that he must have been mistaken and demanded he leave the island immediately and cancelled his visa. he said that his findings were a danger to the reputation of the islands for tourism. he left for a remote part of Patagonia.

around his house is a large steel fence with barbed wire on the top. he tells a reporter that he believes the folklan government is attempting to assassinate him for his endeavors. inside are video screens captured from the cameras that adorn his house. at night he watches the cameras with strict attention, guns stacked around him. 'can never be too safe', he says, 'but i adore these penguins, wouldn't swap this life for the world'.


i've thought often of this man; in a remote part of the world, silently waiting for the end to come while gazing out at the desolate landscapes before him through a video monitor, alone with his penguins.