Find a Way or Make One

I’m stopping my WHINING and just going to find a way or make one. 

This week I came to the realization that despite my naturally optimistic mindset – deep inside a part of me was “whining” about what I can’t do during this holiday season.   

This week – as we got a dusting of snow and brisk weather, I was transported to the high arctic where years ago I participated in the Aspiration Expedition. Our journey recreated the last 200 miles of Admiral Peary’s famous trek. Peary with his second in command, Matthew Henson, were the first to reach the North Pole in 1909.  

Admiral Peary, one dark winter during an earlier arctic exploration trip to Greenland, was hobbled with a broken leg.  He famously wrote on the wall of his snow hut in Latin, “Aut viam inveniam aut faciam” or in English “I shall either find a way or make one.”

As I remembered the adventure, I realized that my whining about the fact that I can’t host our annual company Christmas party and other traditional events is just whining.

And frankly, this “Covid inconvenience” is nothing compared to my North Pole challenges: 1) full white out, 2) the day of a dozen stretches of open water and of course 3) the day I fell into the arctic ocean at 40 degrees below.  

In each case, we “found a way or made a way.”  The photo left to right is the amazing Corky Peterson, Arctic Legend Paul Schurke, myself and the amazing Craig Kurz. 

From now forward, I’m going to do as we did in the high arctic. I’m going to Find a Way or Make One. I’m going to reinvent our holiday party and going to invent new holiday traditions.  

Onward! 

Doug

Here’s a great recipe for the holiday season: 

Maple Cider Whiskey Sour

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 3 ounces of Fresh Apple Cider
• Squeeze of Fresh Lemon
• 1/2 ounce of Maple Syrup

DIRECTIONS

Shake and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.