Why is this man being celebrated?

Piss poor excuse for a parent. I wonder how his child will feel about his return and no doubt expected reconciliation.

The only people criticising him are on here ?

You just cut and pasted this from earlier without addressing the point that he instead chose to live in far more dangerous places and carry out life risking activities through his own choice.

I just read that he joined him for part of the walk. So at least they have had some time together in the last 28 years. But all on his terms and once he is an adult and needs nothing. No sacrifice required.

What a huge waste of a life. 10 years of working... then lived off other people's generosity whilst doing something completely pointless and self-indulgent for the rest of his life-building years.

"We joke sometimes that Karl doesn't love walking. But he loves the mission. He loves the passion, the purpose."

But there was no purpose.

No point.

Pity he didn't find something more useful to put his life's energy into: work, family, community... any of these would have been worthwhile. But just walking? No.

What a huge waste of a life. 10 years of working... then lived off other people's generosity whilst doing something completely pointless and self-indulgent for the rest of his life-building years.

"We joke sometimes that Karl doesn't love walking. But he loves the mission. He loves the passion, the purpose."

But there was no purpose.

No point.

Pity he didn't find something more useful to put his life's energy into: work, family, community... any of these would have been worthwhile. But just walking? No.

I don't think it's a waste of a life at all. Here is someone who stepped out of everything they'd been raised in and gained a totally different perspective, which they are now sharing with others.

"The world is an incredible place. People are worth all the effort. The species is an incredible thing. I’ve got a different attitude to the world; a slightly softer, left-leaning approach compared to some of the staunch politics in the UK right now.”

Not everyone is built the same, what's a waste to one person is growth to another.

I don't understand why OP even started this thread.

It's 'news'. The feature is not celebrating him. It's factual so you can make up your own mind about it.

Why is anyone investing emotional energy to comment on a man they don't know?

There are odd-bods and bad parents everywhere.

He most likely has MH issues and this is his way of coping with his life. None of us know the whole story.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/aug/16/take-the-high-road-the-man-who-visited-every-country-in-the-world-without-boarding-a-plane

Very similar to this man. He said 'he was born to do this' and left a partner behind for 10 years to do it.

He abandoned his son.

“Family is family, right?" says Bushby.
"They're always going to be there. But there will be strain. There will be distance. So much so that you've grown apart to some degree. You don't really know each other anymore”

i find this sad. Family isn’t always going you be there and his decision to walk the world will have been the reason there is strain.

You spent half of this thread arguing he was abusive and that's why the mother had to move to another country. Surely in that case they would have been better off without him?

Your resentment that men can behave this way because women are socialised to be the default parent is getting in the way of any more interesting discussion about whether adventuring holds any value for society and how that weighs up against the burden of people left behind or those who provide unrecognised support.

I don't think it's a waste of a life at all. Here is someone who stepped out of everything they'd been raised in and gained a totally different perspective, which they are now sharing with others.

"The world is an incredible place. People are worth all the effort. The species is an incredible thing. I’ve got a different attitude to the world; a slightly softer, left-leaning approach compared to some of the staunch politics in the UK right now.”

Not everyone is built the same, what's a waste to one person is growth to another.

Both things are true. He has abandoned his child which isn’t ok. And he could have worked on himself to ensure he was the best dad and co-parent he could be, including if he was abusive.

The wider societal issues for women are also true. I’m not interested in any benefits to society of his endeavour. It was selfishly
motivated. He’s now trying to monetise it.

Why are you so intent on policing what I say?

And I haven’t argued that he was abusive. I have said that I would be surprised if he wasn’t and then explained my reasoning. I’d love to hear the mother of his child’s perspective.

If you feel I’m getting in the way of a debate you would rather have then ignore me and contribute something that creates the debate you want.

“People are worth all the effort”

Unless it means me sacrificing what I want for them eh?

A very small extract from his Wikipedia page:

On 1 November 1998, Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, Chile. His route through South America took him through Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Entering Central America required Bushby to cross the inhospitable Darién Gap. Many locals expected him to be killed or abducted by the paramilitary Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which viewed all foreigners as potentially part of the U.S.-backed Plan Colombia initiative. Bushby successfully evaded FARC guerillas and entered Panama in February 2001, although he spent 18 days in a jail in Metetí for entering the country without a visa.

For a man with PTSD following years in service? Putting himself knowingly in further danger (alone with no backup) and potentially leaving his child fatherless?

Not to mention the amount of time and money spent by well meaning sponsors and various government officials working on his behalf to secure visas for him.

Did he really say that? What an idiot. Time with our loved ones is so precious and so special precisely because they aren’t always going to be there. Life is short and fragile.