I'm sure there are many things I'll never learn from traveling over the earth by canoe.
I'm just not sure any of them are worth much.

With a canoe, it's simple. An empty bow always swings with the wind. Lean too far and
you tip over. When you don't paddle, you drift.

When you do paddle, keep your bow lined up on the horizon, or you'll go in circles.
Don't over-pack, you have to carry all you bring. Scout a rapids before you run it.
When paddling, it sometimes helps to sing a song, but be quiet if you want to see and hear shy things...

And perhaps you'll remember to thank
all creatures
who swim or crawl or creep
or burrow or climb or run;
creatures with fur or feathers,
horns or hooves or scales or shells.
They remind us of the mystery and beauty
of all life, and they save us from a great loneliness
here on our small, blue planet,
sailing among the stars

Time passed and upon the beautiful land the
trees climbed like ladders to the stars, the waters
shone like mirrors, and the people saw their beauty.
A breeze stirred and they heard its music.
Tiny truths fell by day and night, gentle as the rain and
snow, and the people found them and kept them in
their hearts...