It seems that every time I travel, Jimmy Buffett is the quintessential music for entering new horizons. "Margaritaville", "Cheeseburger in Paradise", "Son of a Sailor", and (most importantly) "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" exemplify the emotion of new footsteps or flying over the ocean. To many Parrotheads, these songs may usher the opening of a Corona or the blending of a margarita. But to me, and I am sure other borderless, gypsy-souls, they are creed. Buffett writes in "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes","Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same." Ask anyone, who has traveled to far away lands, where the sun seems to shine with a new exuberance,and they will, smilingly, agree.
As I ascended the jagged rise of Cape Point (in quite an out-of-shape manner), I began to hum the Rocky theme song. There is something about the golden horns in it that sing of the heart of kings and it made me really anxious to reach the zenith (yes, mom and dad, my college tuition is buying me an array of new words). In a moment that seemed to pause all of time, I triumphantly raised my fists to the sky as I gazed upon the 360 degree view warranted by the final vantage point. This was the place that I had always heard about in New England sailing lore; the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet in a tumultuous love affair. The words of Dr. Smith (or Bon-Bons as we have so titled her) seemed to describe the whole scene perfectly. "We are on top of the world, at the end of the world."
The quote spawned a thread of interesting realization. In the movie, Gettysburg, Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (played by Jeff Daniels) explains to his subordinates before defending the strategic hill "Little Round Top", "We are the end of the line. We must hold at all costs." He realizes that his troops are, truly, the last of the Union soldiers. Perhaps it was the effect that all war movies have on boys, but the line began to mean something more to me. Belmont may have sponsored this trip and our parents may have paid for it, but we as the students, and the next generation, are the end of the line. It is our mission to take what we have experienced and act upon it. A painful truth of life is that it is not lived until we comprehend that death is ever-looming around the corner. The same goes for action. It will not occur until we realize that it is OUR time and no one elses. Again, we are the end of the line.
Buffett writes, "through all of the islands and all of the highlands, if we couldn't laugh we just would go insane." I can't think of a more fitting quote for this trip thus far. We have bobbed out to Robben Island and glided our way up to the top of Table Mountain. And it seems that every moment has been accompanied by laughter and smiles. Within these there lies a secret. It is Africa's version of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. We all seem to know that somewhere down the line, we will return. Whether it is as students, missionaries, entrepreneurs, or even just tourists, in the words of the Terminator, "I'll (We'll) be back."
It is amazing to see what happens to people who stand on top of the world, at the end of the world. Some may realize that it is their time to take action and responsibility while others may stand in awe and hum the Rocky theme. Either way, I find that Buffett explains the proper approach to exploring life's possibilities. "Yesterdays are over my shoulder. I can't look back for too long. There's too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can't go wrong." I would say I would have to agree.
By Chris Pilny