As to John Gray, the person, we could do no better than to look into the mind of the man himself. What we find may shock but nevertheless unquestionably inspires. He would attribute that feature of his personality to his upbringing at the hands of a clearly admired and respected mother with her ‘activist spirit’.
He firmly believes that “True human value is measured not by wealth or privilege but by compassion, creativity and caring.” “My Word Is My Bond”, he says. “If your word cannot be trusted, if you do not assist the less fortunate… you remain ‘inconsequential’, merely taking up space on our overcrowded Planet. In my own insignificant way, I am also here to bring you to the Laws of Nature. It is my destiny, my Mother’s legacy. My Palette is the sea kayak, the tool that places undeniable nature before your eyes, ears and nose.”
Through his childhood and youth in California he watched Mother Nature become more and more afflicted with the sickness imposed by the selfishness of Man. “I was SCUBA certified at the age of12. My family ventured not only onto the sea but beneath it. I watched the oceans change. We still ventured from the mountains to the sea but the air became dirty, the forests were dying and by the time I graduated from High School in 1962, the world had changed.
“Even at 7 I realised that Mother Earth was sick. My role was not the pursuit of money but a far richer goal – stimulating your awareness of the marvels of nature – before they are gone! I still marvel in the miracle we call ‘Mother Earth’ ”In collaboration with people he refers to as ‘other environmental heroes’ he protected the wilds of Hawaii, O’ahu, to be precise, from the ravages of modern development with the war cry of ‘Keep the country COUNTRY!’ This he terms his most important work along with “tropical sea kayaking to share the Hawaiian harmony with Nature”. He felt that “Asia is where we will win or lose the Planet. I selected Thailand for my environmental experiment” and “twenty-four years on, I still wonder if ‘Environment’ even stands a chance.”With regard to the SeaCanoe adventures, his promise is “great experiences that inspire your imagination, advance your awareness, play with your passion – and embrace you with Mother Nature.”His far from final word, though, is “Never give up! Mother Nature cannot afford to lose the battle for Planet Earth!”
