If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau

Leo Tolstoy, Jack London, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau were Christopher McCandless’ favourite writers as reported by Jon Krakauer in his book Into the Wild. Especially Thoreau’s Walden and his essay Civil Disobedience, heavily influenced McCandless’s ideals about freedom, simplicity, and living close to nature.

The most memorable quote from Into the Wild is probably “Happiness is only real when shared” – which is not from any of these famous writers but from Christopher McCandless himself. He wrote it into his copy of Leo Tolstoy’s Family Happiness. When Chris wrote it in 1992, he had achieved Freedom, just another word for Nothing Left to Loose, in Alaska. And when he had realised that life’s meaning is all about the connection with others. Shortly before his very lonely, tragic death in the wilderness. A complete turnaround from his pre-Alaska believes.

We came back from Lourdes last week.

There was a candlelight procession like never before, in the underground basilica rather than around the outside square because of a threatening thunderstorm. A quiz afternoon with helpers in Pádraig’s room. A taste of Lourdes’ best hot chocolate in the Café Ste Marie, Rue Sainte-Marie, opposite the Café Brasserie Les Brancardiers. A walk through the Grotto and along the river Gave de Pau. Lighting the candles.

Above all, however, there was the company and the kindness of the people we met. Many of them we had met before, some for the first time. All now good friends.

Someone we hadn’t met before was the musician Shobsy who went out of his way to sing with the old and the young their favourite songs.

Over the past years, we have met many people who could not longer live their lives as they had imagined.

Just before we went to Lourdes, we met a 19-year old man with his family who was going to be discharged from a rehab hospital to a nursing home.

I find this impossible to take. This does not have to happen. We should just not allow it. Nobody wants this to happen. Yet it still does. – Because allowing him to live at home or in an alternative, life-fulfilling environment would be too expensive?

Come on!!!!

One day, we will meet with success unexpected in common hours because we advance confidently in the direction of our dreams and provide those who need our help the support they need to do the same.

How can politicians and public servants sleep at night knowing that their lack of focus, their lack of urgency, their lack of action, their excuses and their lack of empathy leaves so many people in absolute misery?

A 19-year old with a life ahead of him cannot be placed in a nursing home. So, why is he, when we know how to avoid this, when we have the recipe for success?