If I was asked who my hero was, and couldn’t say a family member, my answer would undoubtedly be Sir David Attenborough. For some this might come as a surprise as this website is orientated towards travel and Attenborough’s work, though it involves a lot of traveling, is predominantly animal and environmentally based. That being said I distinctly remember being in school and asked who our hero was, whilst other peers chose footballers, actors and musicians I proudly said David Attenborough. Part of that school project was to write a letter to our hero, though I do not remember what I wrote or where that letter ended up, I was happy to be somewhat different to my peers. For once, I was happy to stand out.
Born in 1926 Sir David recently celebrated his 99th birthday. He has held the position of controller of BBC 2, winner of four BAFTA’s, three prime time Emmy’s, multiple life time awards from many academies and more. He has been awarded multiple honorary degrees from various universities including, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Ghent. His work on conservation would be fair to say has been immeasurable in regards to his impact on education and ecosystems alike, and we haven’t even mentioned his books yet! As an author he has written or been involved in 29 publications many of which hold a pride of place in my personal collection.
It is clear from his works that his passion for our planet and protecting our home is arguably unrivaled, a passion that few can compare to, and an inspiration to countless people. On a personal level, during a darker time in my life, whilst rooting through old school work I was reminded of this letter I wrote and decided to write to him, never expecting a reply.
On the 10th of February 2019, I sent my letter of thanks and asked him if he ever felt a greater purpose in life. On the 16th February I received a hand written reply, dated the 14th. I cannot explain how much this letter meant to me, the very fact that this giant of our world took the time to write a two sided reply to me was astounding. In answer to my higher purpose question he replied ‘I simply started doing something because the opportunity presented itself’ and expressed how ‘undoubtedly lucky’ he has been. The letter that is framed in my house.
Later in life I again sent a letter of thanks and updated him on my own situation, once again he replied and shared how happy he was that I was able to get out of that dark place and move forward with my life. The inspiration that others give us cannot be understated, a concept I believe Sir David clearly understands. His simple words of doing something because you enjoy it was a huge part of this website. I make no financial gain from this site, in fact I pour money into it, but I love it, and I shall continue to write even if no one reads it.
It is without a doubt that my love for animals, nature, traveling the world and meeting people from all walks of life has been truly and deeply inspired by the work of this great man.
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