About Tom
From
the age of two, Thomas Martin Smith’s love of the stories and
photographs in National Geographic magazine led
him to develop passions for writing and photography. He
married at nineteen. To support his family, he
worked as a law clerk and an antiques dealer. In
1983, four years after his marriage ended, he sold most of what he owned, including his
pre-Civil War home, and traveled for four months by car and RV around the USA and Canada
to build his photography portfolio. Soon after, he drove to New York where he signed on
with a photo agency on Madison Avenue. Tom
then undertook a two-year self-designed expedition around the world by motorscooter -
starting from and returning to his hometown of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. He spent
the next 12 years writing an epic book about his quest - IN THE LONG RUN: A
Hopeful World Odyssey - which is getting favorable reviews from
readers. Tom lives in
Victoria, BC, Canada, and is working on novel.
(Photo: self-portrait, Dec 31, 2008)
Why
Tom Became "The Scooter Crusader”
At
thirty-three, Tom found himself at a crossroads in life – he was a shy, unemployed,
broke, and virtually homeless, divorced father, without real direction for his future
– a real “fixer-upper,” as he called himself.
Tom did a lot of soul-searching and talked with new mentors, including
world-renowned photographer, the late Ivor Sharp. He
ultimately created and completed a global project – a two-year journey around the
world, solo, on motorscooter Melawend
(named for his two daughters). His goals were
to promote friendship and communication, grow as a writer and photographer, and discover
new perspectives on life and love (and possibly find his soulmate). Tom had never been outside North America, nor had
he ridden a motorcycle or motorscooter before his journey.
He sought sponsorhip. He gained some, and experienced many rejections.
But like an optimistic Jedi knight, Tom learned and persisted. As he traveled around the world, Tom succesfully
negotiated sponsorship with many local and international companies including American
Honda, Kodak, Minolta, as well as several national airlines and tourist boards.
His
experiences ran the gamut of emotions and adventures, including shaking hands with Pope
John Paul, surviving injuries from three accidents and the ravages of dysentery, being
detained by the secret police in Nairobi, riding virgin Sahara in the Sudan and the
“blast furnace” of India’s Madhya Pradesh, becoming frightened by terrorist
bombings in Paris, getting into romantic entanglements in Egypt, and being kissed by a
lion in Kenya. Tom said he learned more about
life though his encounters with a myriad of people including governors, generals,
ambassadors, hookers, humanitarians, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, aid workers,
doctors, students, actors – his list goes on. In
New York, near the end of his journey of 35,000 land miles through 29 countries, the
Spokesman for the UN Secretary General gave Tom a personal tour of the United Nations
headquarters and set up a press conference for him.
"In
all," Tom said, "the journey became a profound education in the world and the
self, something truly worth sharing."
His
many “lessons of life” led him to spend the next twelve years writing the
acclaimed candid book of his epic adventure – IN THE LONG RUN: A Hopeful
World Odyssey. In
part, Tom credits his motivation to Richard Bach’s cult classic book – Jonathan Livingston Seagull –
about a seagull who, against inherent dangers of his quest and the ridicule and expulsion
from his flock, develops his passion for flying, ultimately returning to his flock to
teach others how to truly fly. It is an allegory for the liberation of one’s spirit
and love for others. After a meeting Tom, Richard Bach inscribed Tom's copy of Jonathan
Livingston Seagull: "For Tom! who knows and lives this spirit!" (http://www.melawend.com/jonathan.htm)
Tom believes his book and his continuing work serve in a universal crusade that
seeks to encourage people to liberate and use the boundless yet often suppressed spirit
that lives in everyone for the betterment of their own lives, of those they care about,
and of all humanity, in the long run.
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All the best to you in your life odyssey!
