Where can "which led to. . ." lead you?
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Greetings!
 "Step. (step) n. 1 the act of moving and placing the foot forward, backward, sideways, up or down as in walking, dancing, climbing." I'd tweak Webster's New World College Dictionary's definition of this powerful, hopeful, wandering, restless noun of a word and add "and in questing" since step is just as much an essential element of a quest as it is of a walk, a dance or a climb.
For some of us, taking a step towards a dream is deliberate because our goal is clear and our focus is achieving it. For others, the first step can lead to other steps that pull us towards discovering our passion. That's what happened to this month's Quest Maker, Tracy Colson, when she decided to find something fun to do in 2003 and in the process fell into what educator and author Marsha Sinetar calls "discovering your right livelihood" in her book, Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow.
As I mulled over Tracy's story after our interview, I found myself silently prefacing each step with "which led to." I found my thoughts leading me to a childhood poem, "For Want of a Nail" that describes a different kind of cause and effect, one that chronicles the "no step" approach to life: for the want of something as small as a horseshoe nail, a kingdom was lost. The "which led to" approach to life is full of placing the foot forward, backward, sideways, up or down as in walking, dancing, climbing and questing. It led me to pen the antidote version, "I have to do something for fun" that you'll find in this month's Journal Sparker.
Where can "which led to. . ." lead you?
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Interview with Quest Maker Tracy Colson
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 Tracy has has lived all her life in Crystal River, part of what is called Florida's Nature Coast located on its west coast, north of Tampa and stretching up to the beginning of the state's panhandle. When she reached her early 40's, Tracy decided she needed fun in her life and volunteered to be a manatee watcher, which ultimately led to her advocacy on behalf of these gentle aquatic mammals and the launch of Nature Coast Kayak Tours, which offers fully equipped, personalized guided kayak tours - especially at sunrise - of some of the most scenic waterways in the area.
To introduce you to manatees, take a moment to enjoy The Manatee Waltz, a video of these gentle aquatic mammals that Tracy filmed and set to the the song of the same name composed and sung by her friend, singer/songwriter Katherine Archer.
When did you decide to embark on your quest?
I grew up in Crystal River and have been here all my life. Growing up revolved around water-skiing, boating, fishing, but never kayaking. Right after high school, I had to take care of myself and worked to pay the bills. Out of high school, I worked at various jobs, including 13 years at a nuclear plant. Then I went to school for two years to become a physical therapy assistant, which I didn't like. I ended up working for about five years for my brother who is a building contractor.
In 2003 I decided I had to do something for fun and I read a blurb looking for manatee watch volunteers, who could use their own canoes and kayaks to help educate the crowds of people who come here to interact with the manatees. Volunteers make sure visitors obey guidelines for interacting with manatees.
I got my own kayak and I was hooked. I'd take my kayak out on the weekend, answer questions and try to educate people. A lot of dive shops bring visitors into the water to play with manatees when what they really doing are harassing the animals-disturbing resting manatees, touching them or chasing them out of the warm springs. After two seasons I realized it wasn't education. People weren't following guidelines; they were all over the animals doing everything wrong; I couldn't volunteer anymore.
Instead, I decided to document these behaviors and the manatees' reactions to the harassment by making videos, first with a digital camera then with a camcorder equipped with underwater housing. When I showed the film to a videographer friend he told me I needed to get the video on YouTube if I wanted the world to see it and I did.
I started getting hits on videos from authorities. What I had recorded started embarrassing them a little bit. I kind of put it to them that you have an issue and you need to deal with it. When construction started slowing in 2006. My quest to educate people and foster respect for wildlife and nature, work with manatees and start a kayak business all started coming together.
How did your quest unfold?
By the end of 2006 when I was 44, I had the permits I needed
and a website, I'd bought the kayaks and I had advertised by distributing brochures
locally. I let a friend of mine, who is a kayak outfitter and guide, know I
wasn't competing with him because I was going to lead sunrise tours. I proposed
that if he had customers who wanted to go out real early that he send them to me
and if mine wanted to want to buy a kayak, I'd send them to him. He sends me
his overflow and I help him out with big groups sometimes.
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May Journal Sparker
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With its questions and exercises, a Journal Sparker can be a spark for reflection or action that can help you take the next step on your journey to where you want to be.
Fun is good.
(from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish)
Theodore Geisel
Tracy Colson went looking for fun which led to volunteering. In this month's Journal Sparker, you'll find some places to look for volunteer opportunities as well as a chance to think about the whole idea of "which led to. . ." We've also created a cover sheet if you would like to begin a binder for your Journal Sparkers. |
| Do you know a Quest Maker, a woman who has realized her dream?
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Do you know a woman in her 40s or beyond who declared "now it's my
time," and realized her dream, just like Louise Grasmere has done? Perhaps she's a friend, a family member, an
acquaintance. Perhaps it's you! If she or you would like to considered for an upcoming Quest Maker column in the Chronicles, please send me an email with a brief description and the best way to reach her.
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| Need an idea spark to ignite your own quest?
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Have you decided that now it's your time to claim your own realm and undertake your own voyage of discovery? Except you're not exactly sure how (or even where) to start?You may need an Idea Sparker to help you figure it out. That's where I can help. Learn more about me at www.yournextquest.com.Take the next step with a free 15-minute consultation with me. We'll talk about where you are now and where you want to be and how I can help you get there.
Learn more about how I can help you at www.yournextquest.com. Start your journey now by contacting me at info@yournextquest.com or by calling me at 781.583.7185.Together, we can start you on the journey to where you want to be!
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