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About
Filmtrips
By Mark McMahon
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It all began with
a commitment.
A commitment to take six months off and do
what I loved. To travel and take pictures. I wanted an adventure.
I wanted to drive from my home in Tucson all the way to the
tip of South America.
That commitment led to a shift, a shift into
living a life beyond my dreams.
The commitment was partly motivated by the
death of my father. I remember when it hit me, driving home
one evening. I remember the exact stretch of road where I
realized: "I'M GONNA DIE TOO!" I can't worry about
what anyone else thinks. I gotta get on with MY LIFE and DO
WHAT I WANNA DO!!
This was early 1999. Suddenly I had a laser focus on the day
I had chosen to depart, November 1, 1999. (Keep that date
in mind.) No matter what it took I was gonna make it happen.
I had a busy dental practice with an associate dentist working
for me at the time. I told him if he wanted to stay with the
office he had to buy a portion of the practice. I wanted to
be able to leave with the confidence that my practice would
be taken care of during my six-month absence.
I told my associate dentist that he could buy a quarter or
a one third interest in the practice. He said he wanted to
buy half. I said no, I didn't want a full partner. Off the
top of my head, without really thinking I said, "You
can buy a third or you can buy the whole thing." Much
to my surprise, he said he wanted to buy all of it! Hmm? This
was something I had not really considered.
At the time I had recently started a marketing company for
other dentists,
built around a successful TV infomercial I had created for
my own practice. The company had had some success but it was
not taking off like I had hoped. Shortly thereafter I got
offers to buy some assets of my young company, specifically
the videotape I had created and the company name, SmileWorks,
which I had trademarked. Keep in mind that this was 1999,
the craziest of the Dotcom craze.
One thing led to another and I ended up selling all three
items: my dental practice, the videotape, and the trademark.
All three different deals were
closed and signed on the same day, November 1, 1999.
I had earned a small fortune
and my freedom. Before long I was on
the road and south of the border. I created this website to
document
my six month journey. Six months turned into four years and
a new
way of life for me! I wrote and photographed my way through
16
different countries. I posted over 120 stories and 1000 photographs
online.
I pursued my primary passion for photography and discovered
a
new one for writing. I am currently working on a novel inspired
by
my adventures in Latin America. It all starts with a
commitment...
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Until
one is committed
there is hesitancy, the chance to draw
back,
always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and
creation),
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless
ideas
and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits
oneself,
then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the
decision,
raising in one's favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamt
would come his way.
I have learned a deep respect
for one of Goethe's couplets:
"Whatever
you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power,
and magic in it."
–From
The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, by
W. H. Murray |
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