Sunday – August 16, 2026
If you would have asked me a year ago if that lovely pint of Guinness was half full or half empty, I most assuredly would have opted for the latter. I’m not proud to admit it now, but I used to relish wallowing in my persistent negativity. I would call it being “realistic” or “pragmatic”. But really, I was just a grouchy old man with a shitty attitude and outlook on life.
Almost exactly a year ago, I signed the divorce papers ending over 26 years of marriage. A sad day, indeed, but it needed to happen. I needed a new life. She needed a new life, freed from that miserable, pessimistic husband of hers who thought the glass was always half empty.
I would like to think I’m changing for the better. For example, I am on a ship in the waters off Vietnam and it is literally swimming (pun intended) in rumors that, if true, would mean I could be stranded somewhere on this side of the world in some remote port in the middle of nowhere. Am I stressed? Am I worried? Am I angry? Those are emotions I am intimately familiar with. And no, I am none of the above.
In some ways, the last couple of weeks have been some of the best of my life and certainly the best since I moved to Malta in November, 2025 and began gallivanting around the world, mostly by myself. I have traveled to some amazing places by myself. But it’s so much better when you have a community to travel with, to laugh with, and to share your stories with. I feel certain that some of the people I have met since arriving in Singapore will be in my life for a long time, and if I’m really lucky… forever.
This morning, I caught myself “looking on the bright side” when I arrived to play pickleball. Yes, the weather was hot and humid. Yes, the wind was stronger than usual and would probably affect the way ball moved and bounced and maybe too much to contend with. Yes, I was still a bit worn out from the last few days.
But, here is what I thought: The wind makes it much more comfortable than yesterday and has brought in some clouds, so I will get the occasional break from the blazing sun. It will be fun to see how the ball moves in the wind. Maybe some of my errant shots will get blown back onto the court. Some early morning exercise will undoubtedly make me feel better. And… the best part, I get to hang out with some of my new pickleball friends for a couple of hours. And that’s when it dawned on me that perhaps I’m making some progress in my journey.
I find myself thinking again and again over the last few days that a new life on the Odyssey may be just what I’m looking for. We shall see…
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