It is hard to know the difference between irrational fear and instinct, but fortunate is he who can . Often there is no clear right or wrong option, only the safest one. And if safe was all I wanted, I would have stayed home in Jinja. Too often when trying something no one has ever done, there are only 3 likely outcome: Success, quitting, or serious injury and beyond. The difference in the three, are often forces outside of your control. But this is the nature of the beast: Risk. 

Anyone who is good at what they do, be it marketing, sports or hairdressing will tell you they trust their instincts. There are rational explanations for people making the right choices based on information they could not have known beforehand but only because we live in a rational world. If you chose this option and believe that all that all there is to know is already known, then that is your boring truth, keep me out of it. Whatever the real reason, I think we all agree that people who can go successfully beyond facts are the ones who excel in any, and all fields.  

via the great white explorer  

apparently this man, hendri coetzee, spent a large part of his life kayaking through the rapids of Africa. while part of it was a passion thing, another part of it was a compassion thing. he tried to map out waterways and streams in Africa to help the cause of freshwater accessibility for villagers in many parts of Africa. that's pretty crazy I think. he spends all his time planning his expeditions, getting into trouble with Rwandan authorities (how he describes the Rwandan army: army with a lack of humor that kicks serious ass when and to whom they see fit) and running, like he said, very serious risks with all his expeditions. but that's the life we should aim to lead, isn't it? one chasing after your passion while at the same time having the heart to help people along the way.

but anyway. apparently he died. recently, on dec 7th. a hungry crocodile attacked his kayak and dragged him underneath the whitewater. what I know is this: a crocodile's 'down-bite', which is the part where the upper jaw comes snapping down, has more power in it than you're even thinking. it could've snap your arm right off, yes. but a crocodile has negligible muscles in getting there: if you clamp your hand over the snout of a crocodile, meaning you're holding its jaws together, it would not be able to open its mouth. but if you're simultaneously battling the raging rapids of Africa's rivers, grappling oars in your hands desperately trying to beat off a crocodile that has already begun to lift its upper jaw, and if that's a risk that you were willing to take for your cause... then I think that is a life truly well lived

no fear, that's what I wish I had