Samain Closing Moon
Woollies met tonight at the only house owned by Warren and Sheryl in Roseville. They’ve been moved in for about a month and a half. Bill, Frank, Warren, Mark, Scott, Stefan and myself met with Will Steger. Tom is in Kansas City and Charlie H. decided he was unable to be in the same space as Will. Charlie H’s loss.
Will’s story is an interesting one. He had, from a young age, a clear vision. He wanted to live in the wilderness where there was no road. And become self sufficient. He achieved that goal by buying a piece of property two lakes away from the nearest road outside Ely, Minnesota.
Continuing what he described as a vocation for teaching through many venues, he almost quit exploration until the internet allowed him to connect school children with his journeys.
He described great enthusiasm for and confidence in the young generation, folks in their twenties. “They want purpose and are willing to work with their hands. They have not shut out the older generation like we did when we were young.” Will’s 70 this year.
His foundation, the Will Steger Foundation, focuses on educating kids. The Steger Center is an ambitious plan to open a topflight center for leadership education, in a building designed by Steger during his 222 day journey across Antarctica the long way.
The building he designed is under construction, getting built by interns who work with master stonemasons, tile-workers, wood workers in a master/apprentice relationship and volunteers who come up for weekends during the growing season.
He has a clarity of personal vision that is rare and the humility to share that vision with others. An inspirational guy, working at 70 toward a dream that he knows will outlive him.