Why is this man being celebrated?

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8rz38jr50go

so when his child was 8 years old he decided to leave the country and undertake a 28 year walk around the world, setting himself a rule that he couldn’t come back to the UK until he’d completed it, and we’ve celebrating him why?

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

I guarantee if it was a woman there would have been questions along the lines of 'do you have any regrets for missing out on such a significant portion of your son's childhood and life?'

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.

Take a look - lots of criticism- from dads who could never imagine doing that.

Sorry - didn't know it posted twice.

I'd say a nationalist area in Northern Ireland is probably the miost dangerous place he could go.

But as others have said, they could have met somewhere else.

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 surprise 🤦🏼‍♀️

I honestly cannot understand how someone can effectively abandon their child for such a nonsensical 'mission'.

Reminds me of the salt path walkers Ray Winn and her husband Moth.

He kept going back to spend time in Mexico and then resuming from there. Lots of it make no sense. Lots of holes in the 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.

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.

He abandoned his son.

Because it’s very clear example of the different standards that women are held to. Especially mothers. And this a forum for mothers.

I would love to set off on an adventure like that but can’t because I am a mother.

It would also be less safe for a woman to travel alone.

Men really don’t realise the privilege they have.