Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman
— But who is that on the other side of you?
This excerpt from T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land is based on the third man factors experienced by crew members Sir Ernest Shackleton and Frank Worsley as they made their harrowing journey across the South Pole between 1914-1916.
Frank Arthur Worsley was born in 1872 in New Zealand. A man of vast seafaring and exploration experience, Worsley eventually went on to captain the ship “Endurance” as part of Shackleton’s Trans-Antacrtic Expedition. Though they knew this venture would be one that had a high likelihood of claiming the lives of them and their crew, they were unaware of just what might be in store for them when disaster struck.
For nearly two years, Captain Worsley and his intrepid crew faced hundreds of miles of stormy seas, ice packs, and snow-covered mountains. At some point during their grasp for safe harbor, the men all experienced the sensation of someone walking alongside them, someone who previously was not part of their crew. This mysterious “third man” who seemingly appeared out of nowhere followed along through the worst parts of their trek. So who was this strange spectre that escorted them to the whaling station where they were finally able to signal for a rescue? Maybe we’ll find out for ourselves on today’s episode of Idiopathic!
Co-Host Info: Dr. Sarah Kashdan is a registered naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist in Fort Collins Colorado. Dr. Kashdan practices a whole-body multisystem approach to healthcare using several modalities such as diet, lifestyle, nutrition, and herbal medicine. Dr. Kashdan also has degrees in environmental health and toxicology and is a certified mold-literate provider. Dr. Kashdan can be found at Rocky Mountain Natural Medicine. Her instagram is @coloradonaturedoc
Clinic website: https://www.fortcollins-naturalmedicine.com
