The future is not just a place of the mind inhabited by great discoveries and changes. It is an ever-evolving fabric where society, rituals and even our adventures transform together with materials and culture. Once upon a time, the idea of adventure was riding a galloping steed; today, we have wingsuits and daring attempts to cross oceans in unimaginable ways. Maybe the Atlantic, as in this story.
Imagine the scene: a solitary dot in the immense blue. Things? He is a man trying to “run” from Florida to London in a structure that resembles a hamster wheel. That man's name is Reza Baluchi, and it's proof that when it comes to pursuing a passion, there are no limits... unless you cross paths with the United States Coast Guard.
The audacity of a dream
Reza Baluchi, 51, is no ordinary man. Most of us dream of traveling across the Atlantic on a luxury cruise ship or plane, but he doesn't. He imagined a completely different way: a sort of floating wheel, which seems made especially for a giant hamster, designed to "run" on the water.
From the New York Times I learn that on August 26, 110 kilometers off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia, the United States Coast Guard intercepted this daring adventurer and asked for his vessel's documents. Curiously (but don't tell me), Baluchi claimed to have the recording on board, but couldn't find it.
No Atlantic
The Coast Guard, I imagine with an expert eye, noticed that the condition of the vessel was rather precarious. The wheel, in fact, floated thanks to a system of cables and buoys. This led officials to conclude that Baluchi, intending to cross the Atlantic, was undertaking a “manifestly dangerous” journey. But our hero wasn't willing to give up easily.
He refused to leave his wheel for three days, even threatening to have a bomb on board.
It's not the first time
If you think this is Baluchi's first adventure, you are very wrong. Just as you are wrong if you think we can simply call him crazy. I mean, it probably is, but in a poetically grandiose way.
This tireless dreamer attempted to cross the ocean in his wheel several times. In 2014, his attempt to reach Bermuda ended unexpectedly: Baluchi became disoriented and had to ask fishermen for directions. Despite warnings from the Coast Guard, he continued his journey, eventually activating his tracker about 130 miles off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida.
After being towed to shore on another occasion, still hunting for “his” Atlantic, the Baluchi hamster declared: “I will never give up on my dream. They stopped me four or five times, but I will never give up.” And his mission is not just a personal challenge, it seems. Baluchi has a heart of gold: “My goal is to raise funds for the homeless, for the Coast Guard (captatio benevolentiae), for the police and for the firefighters. They serve the community, they do it for safety and they help others.”
I smile and dream of another Atlantic.
Maybe I'm a little crazy too, but even though I smile at the thought of these stories, it's impossible for me not to admire the determination and passion of people like Reza Baluchi. In an age where we often settle for routine, he reminds us that it's worth chasing your dreams, no matter how big or unlikely they are.
I know many, too many people who run like hamsters inside less eccentric and less poetic wheels, sometimes invisible, without even an Atlantic to cross. I wish they had a shred of the crazy, indomitable will of this man who wants to run across an ocean.
