FELLOW ADVENTURISTS, STAY HOME

Self-quarantined in rainy Honolulu, waiting for baby's arrival. Found a reflection I had written in the weeks after Hurricane Irma. Considering the trauma I had just endured, I'm surprised that I was still so fond of taking risks, when my unconventional life had already been fraught with extraordinary peaks of both joy and pain. The "good stories" come at a cost.

"In order to have a life full of 'good' stories, You must Take risks Fail sometimes Stray from the familiar Not marry your high school sweetheart Move to a place full of strangers Where you don't speak the language Or know your way around.

In order to have a life full of 'good' stories, You must Be vulnerable Ask for help Be a stranger Be an idiot Know that tomorrow isn't always better than today but it offers a lesson. Trade comfort for wisdom."

We are all facing a very real risk now, one that we didn't seek out. It's not a glamorous risk, like climbing a mountain or skydiving or eating roadside food in a foreign land. It's a risk we should all do everything in our power to mitigate.

Some risks in life are worth taking. This one is not. Praying for humanity.