I grew up walking and running along the soft, white sandy beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tampa, back in the early sixties. It was only natural when I decided to enlist in the Navy in May of ’77 and spend the next twenty years sailing around the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea in search of history, fun and adventure. I was not at all
disappointed in any of these categories and little did I now then that my naval career was preparing me for the next step in my life which was to accept a
consulting and shipboard firefighting trainer position working with Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. and the Egyptian Navy here in Alexandria, Egypt. Embarking on this next big adventure in March of 2002, I’ve had the privilege to work side by side with some of the finest men and women from both the US and Egypt in
this unique and always challenging, multi-cultural environment. It isn’t easy working outside your own
country with different laws, language, beliefs, customs and other barriers between people but the differences are what make it “Not just another job” but a rare opportunity to teach, train and help others while learning something from them and the experience of being here “In the Land of the Ancient Pharos,”
in return.
Unfortunately, it’s no secret that there’s been a lot of
uncertainty in Egypt since their revolution took place back in January of this year (2011) and it’s hard to tell how much longer some of us American expatriates will be remaining. I’ve been nearly ten years already and not a day goes by that I’m not home sick and ready to pack up and leave. But it’s been a good run thus far and I’m hoping to stretch it out for another year or
two in order to complete a few projects and leave this place better than when I arrived. Until then, I’ve managed to find a little spare time for photography, guitar playing and reading the latest books on the subject of “New Physics.” Many of you probably know that a new paradigm is emerging which is finding more and more common ground between science and the world’s great religions and mystical belief systems. I try to weave these new (and many ancient) ideas
and concepts into my poetry here in Poetry Soup as much as possible and am very thankful for this unique opportunity to read, write and share our thoughts and
ideas in poetic form with one another. It’s amazing, uplifting and transforming. Poetry is changing my life and no doubt, if you’ve read thus far down the page, it’s changing yours as well. Let’s make a vow to keep passing it on to others who just might join us sooner or later and eventually, we might find ourselves
change the world – one poem at a time.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see more of you here in "PS."
Peace everybody,
Terry Martin