Henry Worsley (1960-2016) trekked into the blind, vast, white wilderness of Antarctica facing a definite risk to life [see here]. He succumbed January 24th, 2016 in a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile.

His passion was to help support the troops he once served with and to help them after their service [donate here]. He could have just stayed home and still been a hero. Whatever his politics he is a lot of things that I can only hope to be and he did a lot of things that I can only hope to achieve. Myself, I can be principled and I can still aspire. In the meantime I admire people who achieve so much more. Who are in fact better than myself. Much better. A man like this humbles me and makes me question what have I done lately (or ever) that compares. And for whatever passions, for whatever reasons.

“Tho’ I’ve belted you and flayed you,
By the livin’ Gawd that made you,
You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!”
[Rudyard Kipling; ‘Gunga Din’, 1892]

My choice of poetry. Well done, Henry. Good job. You’re a better man I am.