Author David Silberkleit's story mirrors that of Dorothy from "The
Wizard of Oz."
After years of working for Archie Comics in Mamaroneck, then trekking
across the globe to exciting places like Vietnam, New Zealand and Prince
Edward Island, Canada, Silberkleit, 42, discovered adventure is not
where you are but how you are.
Like Dorothy, Silberkleit realized he had the power within himself.
In his first book, "A New Adventure Every Day: 541 Simple Ways to
live with Pizzazz," Silberkleit shares the knowledge he gathered.
"The book is really about what if you could never go to Vietnam? What
if you're never going to get more vacation time? What if your life can
be just as exciting and fulfilling without having to travel to another
country?" he said.
Silberkleit dismisses the idea that you need to travel to a foreign
country and have a lot of money to live an adventurous life.
"I came back to tell the story that it's a myth. Adventure transcends
circumstances," he said.
Growing up in Scarsdale, Silberkleit's circumstances were very
comfortable, he said. His grandfather, Louis Silberkleit, was one of the
founders of Archie Comics in Mamaroneck. His father, Michael
Silberkleit, was chairman and co-publisher of the company. When David
grew up, he was expected to work for his father.
David Silberkleit began working for Archie Comics in 1983, after
attending Colby College in Maine, where he studied psychology, geology
and English. He also spent a three-year stint working on racing
sailboats in Mamaroneck and teaching skiing in Colorado.
"I worked at Archie for nine years in Mamaroneck and I decided it
wasn't really what I wanted to do in my life," he said. "I ended up
leaving and I went out to find what I really wanted to do. In many ways,
it was one of the hardest adventures I tried. I left a known and
predictable future."
Silberkleit traveled to 13 different countries, including Venezuela,
Laos and Thailand, and participated in activities, like gliding, scuba
diving,and mountain biking.
In 1995, Silberkleit started his life coaching business, talking to
clients across the globe through cell phones and e-mails.
Five years later, in 2000, Silberkleit came across his big epiphany.
"I was in France, fall 2000. I was asking people where was the best
place to go in France, and that's when it hit me," he said. "I was
trying to go somewhere to get adventure in my life, but it has
absolutely nothing to do with where you go or what your circumstances
are, whether it's an office or a bike."
Two years ago, Silberkleit moved to Stamford and began writing his
book. The book, which is 341 pages long, contains simple ways of making
a difference, like walking a friend's dog, creating a scavenger hunt or
taking a luxurious bath.
To his critics, Silberkleit said he is not making light of the
seriousness of life but trying to send a message to people to find the
extraordinary in themselves.
"There are some people, who claim some of the adventures are silly.
Life is hard. How can you make light of it? ... The truth is I'm not.
I've also been a hospice volunteer (in Stamford), and I've sat with
people who are dying ... My relationship to the people I've worked with
is to be present and available to death as a piece of life," he said.
"Yes, it's sad. Yes it's painful. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, and it's
not something to be taken lightly. Yet, as a piece of life, like the
humming birds and the cherry tree, there's something to discover."
Silberkleit's personal top adventure was walking in the Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City back in the 1980s, the first
public appearance of the Archie characters.
"I chose to wear the Jughead hat, walk the parade, shake the kids
hands and walk the parade," he said. "I'll never forget that."
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