Sailing, As Metaphor, For Life

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/DKix6Un55mw

Choose a First Mate and vessel with good bones, not just good looks

Take care of your First Mate and ship, they'll take care of you

Always keep a lookout

In stormy weather, try to avoid lee shores

Shorten sail before stormy weather arrives

Be mindful of the kind of crew you take on board

The voyage is just as important as the destination

When all other means of navigation fail, look to the stars

While a good anchor is essential, a wise sailor has a backup

Technology is great, but...
 a lead line, compass, and sextant will do in a pinch

Go slow, so you can Truly See

There isn't much that can't be made better...
 by immersing the soul in salt water

Sailing solo is fun, but with friends - so much better

Reading, knowing, and feeling a thing...
are all very different matters

by Kelvin D. Meeks
copyright 2015

Overtime...

The cold winter chill has descended upon the Puget Sound area...28 F this morning, as I walked to the client office.  It will be in the low 70s F in the marina this week, far to the South.

The near-term is cloudy - and I wait for the figurative 'roll of the dice' on a certain matter. I am at peace with delays - or outcomes. For I am a Sailor - and I know well the craft of patience. Long days spent tacking back and forth to gain a few miles...days spent driving hard into waves to make a few miles....and the indeterminable pauses when the wind dies and you are becalmed.

"Waiting is, until fullness"
- Valentine Michael Smith
Strange in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein