Adventures of the Past, Present, and Future

Tamara Di Silvestro

Chandler Gilbert Community College

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Adventures of the Past, Present, and Future

Life is never quite what it seems. Behind the quiet, serene beautiful landscapes of the

world lies the unnerving mystery of adventure led by curiosity. As we begin exploring lifes

mysteries, we can never be certain of what lies ahead of us. Excitement, danger, and discovery

are greeting us at lifes doorstep, holding out a hand to lead us towards our first steps into the

never ending future. While we are grasping for just one ounce of certainty, life dares us to always

follow behind blindly, feeling our way through the bumps and cracks of the unknown. What an

adventure life will be.

As we all know, life is not set in stone. We fall in love, we fall out of love. We get

married, we start a family, we get divorced, we a family falls apart. Nothing can ever be fully

explained. Sometimes we look at the ones we love and think about what keeps us loving this

person on a daily basis (Lewis, 2009, par. 6). How did we get to where we are today? That is

what adventures are all about, finding ourselves without ever really knowing how we will do it.

In 1632, shortly after arriving in Paris, a man named Charles began his life full of

adventures and obstacles. It all started with him landing into the position of the captain guard for

the king (Norris, 2017, par. 4). The name of the guard group was Mousquetaires de la Garde

(Norris, 2017, par. 3). Later on in 1844, an author by the name of Alexandre Dumas would

release a book based on the life of Charles and that is how the story of The Three Musketeers

was born. While the story of The Three Musketeers is widely known, the main character Charles

dArtagnans real story is lost. Charles took his mothers last name in hopes of making a name

for himself.
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Paris is a city of mystery and exploration, with winding roads and catacombs to explore.

While France is notorious for sparking interest in explorers, it is no wonder that one of origins of

the word adventure is Old French. The Old French word aventure is combined with the Latin

words adventurus and advenire to create the Middle English word adventure (Adventure,

2017). The word adventurus is Latin for about to happen, which coincides with the definition of

the word adventure; a thrilling, daring, and even dangerous experience from the past, present, or

future. Around 1517, the word adventure is first introduced, now creating a new meaning to life.

For the first few hundred years, adventure was used to express the danger and thrill of an

experience about to happen. Never did people assume that life could be seen as one endless

adventure. Never have people looked at life as something so uncertain and almost frightening

until this word came along. But now we are able to express how we look at our lives and the

lives around us. Just as Charles sparked his lifes adventure, he took on a new name and leaped

towards a bright and exciting new future full of unexpected explorations that would soon be

passed down through generations.

In Peter Wildings article from 1937, the story of six adventurers who thrived in a

prosperous society and gained fame for their incredible successes, became a trending lifestyle

(par. 1) Nowadays, living a life of adventure and excitement is an ultimate goal as society

continues to thrive on thrills and surprises. While culture, race, and even age set a standard on

the meaning of life, a majority of people would agree that nothing can be determined with full

certainty.

As spectators we see life differently from one another. Celebrities are automatically

assumed to live an adventurous life, living as they please with funds and resources at the tip of
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their fingers. Occupations that require travel and relocation could also be considered an

adventurous life. Even a middle class worker that works that nine to five job can lead an

adventurous life, it all depends on the persons perception. It is exciting to know that we do not

know the end of our own stories, and that the choices we make will determine how big or small

of an adventure we are going to take on in the future. What will better determine our fate is how

we look at our lives and what we do with them.

An adventure can be so much more than just life. It can be a goal or experience that better

widens the mind and soul. An adventure most commonly thought of as an exploration, can affect

a person in several ways. It changes the perspective of a person and knowledge can be gained

from experiences we may or may not experience in our lifetimes. You are more open to life and

learn to appreciate the little memories and live in the moment. Applying all of these new found

talents can further your experience as an adventurer and paint a picture for generations to follow.

Life is what you make of it. To live life is never easy, but that is what makes it an

adventure. To never know what is going to happen next is the greatest adventure we can

experience, and the way we perceive each others lives will help us better understand. There are

no age limits to adventure, and no experience required. As we open our minds to world around us

and gather our thoughts, we are able to process our surroundings and look towards the future. It

is normal to be scared and hesitant in approaching the future, but also reassuring knowing we are

all in this together. We all have future unknown to us, and thats the best we can hope for. To be

unsure of what we know, and to be welcoming to what we dont know. After all, life is a never

ending adventure.
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References

Norris, D. A. (2017, February/March) The Real Musketeer. History Magazine, 18. Retrieved

from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ez1.maricopa.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=a937

7647-5 0b-4398-8619-bd6836b2c0f7%40sessionmgr120&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9Z

Whvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=120974663&db=khh

English Oxford Living Dictionaries. (2017) Retrieved from https://en.oxford dictionaries.com/de

finition/adventure

Wilding, P. (1937, December 26) Six Adventurers Who Once Flourished: Adventurers in the

Eighteenth Century. The New York Times. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.ez

1maricopa.edu/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/102108854/fulltextPDF/B60E7F36A6D9418

7PQ/6?accountid=3859

Lewis. S. (2009, February 8) Love Conquers All. Even Life's Mysteries. The New York Times.

Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ez1.maricopa.edu/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/

1030593589/B75387CC50C64253PQ/2?accountid=3859