Susan and I started this blog “early” as a dry run to practice for the “real” thing; chronicling our sailing adventure. I’m one who practices and prepares for the things that I take seriously. So when Susan suggested that we chronicle our voyage with a blog, I proposed that we start right away to get familiar with the blogging process before we get into it “seriously”. Last weekend was a bit frustrating at times because of the setbacks that Susan has described in her previous post. In spite of that and perhaps in some ways because of that our preparations are evolving and in my mind are taking on a sacred nature. Sacred in the way that handcrafted things you trust your life to become sacred overtime, sacred in the way important instruments of life-change become. In writing these words, taking a little time out every week to reflect and write, I have become aware that we already have begun the “real” thing, that we’re living the “real” thing. The preparation we are doing now; restructuring our lives and transforming our vessel are surely at least as important and rich as anything that will happen once we cast off. The great yoga teacher Swami Kripalu identified nonjudgmental self-observation as one of the most advanced spiritual practices one can do. I’m finding that this blog is encouraging and enabling that type of healthy introspection. It’s helping me maintain a larger perspective on my life and to understand how events and actions past, present and future are interconnected and related. With that wisdom in mind, I step back and take a relaxed look at my life as it is right now and I’m please to report that I like what I see.
Years ago a treasured karate teacher informed me; “you look but you do not see”. Seeing is an active practice, it is also nuanced and heavily influenced by context. It’s such an ordinary practice that it’s easy to overlook the subtle but important things one tends to encounter in life. This is where we find ourselves lately, Susan and I; in a dusty marina parking lot, all weekend long for several weekends to come, sanding the bottom of our boat. I’ve come in to the wonderful realization that it’s the very best place I could be with the very best person I could be with. Now that’s what I call “real”, real good that is. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a part of me that can’t wait to head out on the open ocean, turn Gypsy’s bow South towards the islands and beyond but I’m in no rush because I know I’m doing what’s important now, in this moment and it’s good, it’s all good.
Marina anecdote: Sunday morning Susan and I stopped in at the marina’s chandlery to pick up some sandpaper. As we were checking out the cashier said to me; “You know your wife has a lovely smile, you’re a lucky man.” Although Susan and I are not married I didn’t feel the need to correct his well intentioned misassumption, I just smiled and told him I agreed whole heartedly with his sentiment.
208 days...
