Sink or Swim?

As a cave diver, I swim through the planet's lifeblood. Where others see only darkness and danger, I see possibility. Each stroke into the unknown is an opportunity for growth.

These days, fear dominates our world—fear of change, failure, and the unknown. But the truth is, fear isn't the enemy. It's necessary. It sharpens our judgment, makes us think twice, and prepares us for challenges. When people tell me they're too scared to dive, I tell them they're the kind of person I want beside me. Fear shows you care. It keeps you alert. It tells you that what you're doing matters.

In caves, fear can't paralyze me. When I'm stuck, or visibility drops to zero, panic is a luxury I can't afford. I have to stay calm, think clearly, and take the next best step. One measured breath at a time. Emotion wastes air. Logic saves lives.

And that applies beyond the cave. Whether launching a project, chasing a dream, or facing a major life decision, you don't need to know every step in advance. You need to know the next right one and be willing to take it. Ask yourself: What's the risk? What's the potential reward? Can I take responsibility for both?

My career hasn't been without loss. I've seen divers fail to turn back in time or push too far. But I've learned this: boldness must be balanced with intuition. Knowing when to go is important—but knowing when to stop can save your life.

Fear can be a guide if we let it. It can push us forward or pull us back at the right moment. So, don't sink into fear when you're standing at the edge of something big. Swim with it. Trust it. And always be ready to make the next best choice to move forward.

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Here is the next audio from Jill reading from tech diver and Naval Aviator Peter Hunt’s book: “The Lost Intruder”. Chapter 8 -

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Hey Kids - What day is it? Colonoscopy Day!!!

They say laughter is the best medicine unless you're prepping for a colonoscopy, in which case the best medicine is 64 ounces of Satan's Smoothie that tastes like lemon-flavoured regret and turns your bathroom into a second home. Nothing says fun like spending a romantic evening with your toilet, pondering life's big questions while experiencing a full-on exorcism. By morning, you're clutching for dignity and feeling emptier than a politician's promise.

Then comes showtime. And just as the anesthesiologist is asking if you've ever used a rebreather, you're thinking, "Wait, should I tip them?" and boom, lights out. While you're swaddled in a warm blanket, someone expertly navigates your innards like they're diving through a cave. The next thing you know, you wake up feeling refreshed, mildly confused, and suspiciously lighter.

Once, my doctor showed me a full HD colon tour like a nature documentary. Sir, that's my intestine, not Mammoth Cave.

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Robert’s Most Perfect of Perfect Songs: Marvin Gaye - “What’s Going On”

In 1971, I was fifteen years old and just beginning to find my way in a very complicated world. Growing up relatively poor in a diverse, mixed-race, row home neighborhood of North Philadelphia, I witnessed first hand the civil rights movement, peace protests, the sexual revolution, black empowerment, feminism, and one of the biggest cultural shake ups in history. I saw the older guys on my street get drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Some didn’t come back - and others returned with physical and emotional scars that defined the remainder of their lives. My uncle, a door gunner on a Huey helicopter, had a piece of his skull blown off and lived with a metal plate in his head. He struggled with limited cognitive abilities until his early death at the age of 59.

The music of this era ranks among the most important popular music ever. If I had to choose one song that captures the raw emotion of the times it is Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece “Whats Going On.”

There are not a lot of performance videos of Marvin singing this song - after all, this was before MTV, VH1, and BET. Motown Records recently put together the animated video below and I’d recommend you check out the lyrics. Most of what Gaye is singing about, and advocating for, is just as relevant today as in 1971.

Marvin Gaye is considered one of the greatest singers of all time. But calling him a “singer” really doesn’t do his legacy justice. He was instrumental in creating what became known as the “Motown Sound.” As a multi-instrumentalist session player, songwriter, producer, and performer, Gaye was lauded as the “Prince of Soul.” He had his first success in the 1960s, mostly recording duets with established Motown artists like Kim Weston, Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell. Sadly, Terrell collapsed in his arms during a concert in 1967 and was diagnosed with a brain tumor, eventually passing away from complications shortly after.

Even though Marvin Gaye was topping the charts and experiencing wide success for the first time, losing his duet partner caused him to sink into a period of moodiness and depression. He rarely recorded or performed for several years after Tammi Terrell’s collapse. In 1970 he returned to Motown and presented Berry Gordy, (the label’s founder) with the song “What’s Going On.” Gordy refused to release it as a single, arguing that it was too political for Motown, a label that was built on upbeat love songs and soulful ballads. Gaye then refused to do any further writing or recording for Gordy until he agreed to release “Whats Going On” and support Marvin’s full length album project. Berry Gordy stuck to his position. Without Gordy’s knowledge, Gaye conspired with VP of sales Barney Ales to press 100,000 copies of the single and distribute them to almost every music radio station in the USA. To get around Berry Gordy, they released it with little fanfare, not on the behemoth Motown label, but on the small subsidiary Tamla Records. Within a month, it shot to number one on the Billboard charts and remained there for five weeks! Of course, Gordy took much of the credit, and based on the single’s great sales, he relented, allowing Marvin Gaye to have 10 days of recording studio time to complete the album.

The rest is popular music history. The album was one of the first “conceptual” records. It was written from the perspective of a Viet Nam war veteran returning home witnessing hatred, suffering, environmental devastation and social injustice. The album was an immediate commercial and critical success. Many critics, musicians, and music aficionados consider “Whats Going On” to be one of the greatest albums of all time and a landmark recording in popular music. In 1985, writers on NME, the British music weekly, voted it the best album of all time. In 2020, it was ranked number one on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I concur.

Above: When I bought a new Phono turntable, I immediately purchased a remastered vinyl LP version of this perfect album.

In 1984, during the height of his musical career, Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father as he attempted to intervene during one of his parent’s frequent violent arguments.

Marvin Gaye was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and inductions into the Rhythm & Blues, Songwriters, and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame - And an honored place on my turntable.

Jill’s Bonus Song - “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

On the evening before we were married Jill and I had a house concert/party for our friends and family who gathered at our place in Florida. Our back deck was converted into a stage and Sloan Wainwright, of the legendary Wainwright musical family, performed for us. It was a magical event, and when Sloan returned after a standing ovation she played “Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” as a final song of the evening. This is when Jill told me it was one of, if not her favorite song. At that moment she gave me yet another reason to fall in love with her! Here’s Sloan’s version:

This closes out our Perfect Song series. If you have a young person in your life, please share the music you like with them, preferably in physical form like vinyl or CDs.

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Thanks for spending a few moments with us this week. We leave you with a message drawn with chalk on a sidewalk near our house. Be like Jacub. Love One Another!