According to Internet Media: I've long been of the opinion that if you know what a xenophobe is, you probably aren't one.
A xenophobe, of course, is someone with an irrational fear of the foreign. Or so goes the dictionary definition. Personally, I think of xenophobes as stout warriors in the battle against the monsters under their beds.
Travel is the surest cure for xenophobia. Intelligent, adventuresome, curious people don't run and hide from different cultures. They don't cringe at the sound of a foreign language or unfamiliar accent. They know it's a big world and are eager to embrace it.
This thought bubbled up the other day as I chatted with Robert M. Weir -- Bob to his many friends -- about a journey he took a year ago. He spent nearly four months traveling from Barbados to India by way of the Azores, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany and Russia.
"There's more in this world to see than I can find in any one locale," he explained.
Weir might be a native of Emmett, but he is a citizen of the world, a man who believes there is only one race -- the human one. He most definitely is a xenophile.
HE'S ALSO an author, public speaker, editor, book doctor and writing coach. His published works include a first-person account of his struggle with a brain tumor and a biography of the legendary pacifist, John McConnell, best known as the founder of Earth Day.
Weir is contemplating another book, this one chronicling the maritime adventure he took last year when he sailed across the Atlantic on a tall ship and later explored the Mediterranean, Aegean, Black and Baltic seas.
While much of his journey occurred at sea level, his travels ultimately led to the Himalayas and a foot race at elevations more than three miles high.
Weir has put together a travelogue, "Great Crossings," that chronicles his adventure. On the next two Saturdays, he'll be sharing his stories and photos, first at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point and then at Studio 1219 on Military Street.
Weir is contemplating another book, this one chronicling the maritime adventure he took last year when he sailed across the Atlantic on a tall ship and later explored the Mediterranean, Aegean, Black and Baltic seas.
While much of his journey occurred at sea level, his travels ultimately led to the Himalayas and a foot race at elevations more than three miles high.
Weir has put together a travelogue, "Great Crossings," that chronicles his adventure. On the next two Saturdays, he'll be sharing his stories and photos, first at the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point and then at Studio 1219 on Military Street.
