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Photo by Ayotunde Oguntoyinbo on Unsplash
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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 Dwellers strives against their 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 their course.
We of the sea-faring community - who believe in leaving a "clean wake" are aghast at the garbage that the Land Dwellers casually tosses from their car or drops on the sidewalk, or the toxic waste that their collective communities allow to be buried in the ground or dumped into their lakes and streams.
The Land Dwellers assumes that they live in a land-of-plenty.
We sea-dwellers assume that the next port may not have the provisions we need.
The Land Dwellers assume that if it breaks, they 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 Dwellers lust after the new & shiny.
The master of a ship knows that old & sturdy beats the hell out of new & shiny (but shitty) any day.
While the Land Dwellers assume that the beautiful weather will continue,
Seafarers watch the barometer...and prepare well in advance, for the inevitable fall...
When the storms knock-out the electrical grid, the Land Dweller is bewildered with what to do.
The mariner has had the forethought to equip their ship with wind generators and solar panel. Candles and oil lamps provide a warm and cozy feeling while pulling a book from the ship's library and reading deep into the night.
When the water main breaks in the Land Dweller's city - they know panic & privation.
The captain & crew sleep content in their ship, knowing that there is enough water in the tanks to last for weeks, or months.
During a crisis - the Land Dweller hopes that trips to the store can be completed before the shelves are stripped bare.
The old salts of the sea keep 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 seafaring folk - and I tell you, I do not understand those Land Dwellers...
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