Friday, March 13, 2015

A Stranger Among The Land Dwellers



Land Dwellers are a confusing lot.

I dwell amongst them, but I am not of them.

When I must dwell amongst the Land Dwellers for a spell, I find I must mask my maritime nature so as to blend in with the masses - but I do not understand them.

The Land Dweller must always have more.
Those that voyage upon the waves seek to achieve more with less.

The Land Dweller strives against his environment - in a constant state of war against the forces of nature.
The master of a ship finds the optimal balance between the wind and tide to chart his course.

We of the sea-faring community - who believe in leaving a "clean wake" are aghast at the garbage that the Land Dweller casually tosses from their car or drops on the sidewalk, or the toxic waste that their collective communities allowed to be buried in the ground or dumped into their lakes and streams.

The Land Dweller assumes that he lives in a land-of-plenty.
We sea-dwellers assume that the next port may not have the provisions we need.

The Land Dweller assumes if it breaks, he can get a replacement at one of the big box stores.
We who survive upon the sea know that it is better to know how to fix than to replace.

The Land Dweller lusts after the new-and-shiny.
Those that are masters of their own ships know that sturdy beats the hell out of shiny any day.

While the Land Dweller assumes the beautiful weather will continue,
We watch the barometer...for the inevitable fall...

When the storms knock-out the power, the Land Dweller is bewildered with what to do.
The mariner has had the forethought to equip his ship with wind generators and solar panel. Candles and oil lamps provide a warm and cozy feeling while he pulls a book from the ship's library and reads deep into the night.

When the water main breaks in the Land Dweller's city - he knows panic and privation.
The Captain sleeps content in his ship, knowing that he has enough water in his tanks for weeks.

During a crisis - the Land Dweller hopes that he will be able to make it to the store before the shelves are bare.
The old salt of the sea keeps enough provisions and stores aboard to shove off for a voyage of many months - at a moments notice.

I am of the sea - a member of a vibrant and courageous community of sea-faring folk - and I do not understand those Land Dwellers...


copyright 2015 by Kelvin D. Meeks

Nelson Marine Auction March 17th - Tuesday, Alameda, CA

International Boat and Marine Auction Services to conduct an auction of the remaining material and boats left in Nelson Marine, on March 17, 2015 in Alameda, CA http://marineauctionservices.com/event/Nelsons%20Marine/details.htm

Friday, March 6, 2015

Longing for The Sea...

I am working now on a new client engagement...which should keep me busy for at least the remainder of this year...and perhaps (hopefully)...longer...

But I find myself looking out from my mid-town office, high up on the 10th floor, looking out over the waters of Puget Sound...and I find myself missing the feeling of being at sea.

I have not been on a long voyage for a few years...and I was not missing it, as I was living aboard in the marina, working, and enjoying the life of being on a beautiful coast - in a convenient marina - with my books surrounding me in the small office I leased near the marina.

But tonight, as I prepare to leave the client office (noting the time to myself, of 9pm...), I am aware of the smallest beginning of a swelling of longing that is beginning to make itself known at the edge of my conscious mind...

I long, to once again, commune with the whales and dolphins...while on a long passage...

I long, to once again, drop my anchor in a quiet cove of an island...

I long, to once again, walk the deserted streets of some foreign port city...long after all of the shops and bars have closed...covered by a brilliant canopy of stars...

I long, to once again, see the Milky Way reflected over the vast expanse of the ocean..

I long, to once again, stand midnight watch, waiting for the first glimmer of the sunrise...

I miss the sea...I hear it calling me...