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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 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
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