Voyage Of Life
Many people have used the ocean and sailing as metaphors for life and the journey each of us makes as we traverse it. Kenny Loggins, in his song, "The Real Thing" sings, "Everybody's got a boat upon the ocean, but not everybody's sailing out to sea. Is there someone there for me? I'm ready to believe." I've been thinking about the concept of the ocean as a metaphor for our existence, and the picture of each of us sailing on that ocean as a metaphor for relationships, particularly the ones we choose (with friends, lovers, marriage partners) as opposed to those that are largely chosen for us (family and, to some extent, professional). What kind of a voyage would YOU like to be on? We all have that choice, but we don't all make it wisely.
Some people like rough seas. They enjoy the danger and the excitement. As long as they feel like they're always going to be rescued or that they have a safety net, they don't mind the thought of a shipwreck. It's part of the appeal, and they can always get another boat. Someone will always be there to pull them out of the water. To these people, being tossed around on the waves is exhilarating. They prefer the sea to be turbulent. It even adds to their enjoyment if they know that the boat they're on is in need of serious repairs. What other people see as dangerous storms, they misinterpret as the "passion" of the ocean. What these people often don't realize, though, is that there are rocks under the waves. Even if other people point out the obvious dangers, they ignore them. Even if all the weather forecasts they hear point to a Perfect Storm, these people often think that they know the weather and the ocean better than other people do, even better than trained, experienced meteorologists. Be careful around these people. They can be really good at convincing you to come along for the ride. Don't do it. If they insist on sailing into a storm, all you can do is let them go.
If you were to sail with me on my boat, I can't offer you the certainty of dangerous, stormy seas. If we encounter them, I feel like I've learned the skills to be able to navigate safely through them. What I won't do is sail into them or go looking for them, simply to add excitement to my journey, and I certainly won't ignore serious warnings from people I trust for the sake of going somewhere that I've never been before. To me, boats are much too precious to waste or take for granted.
I was asked recently by someone when I thought our relationship had "peaked". I think this person may have been looking for some moment, some event, some specific memory to which I could point, after which - having reached its pinnacle - our relationship presumably went into a valley from which it never recovered. I didn't have one to offer. I'm not really a "peaks and valleys" kind of a guy (although I could certainly have come up with a "valley" or two if she had asked for that). To put this in a nautical context, the thing that I enjoyed the most was the simple act of sailing with this person, every day, and then returning to the safety of the harbor each night and breathing in the aroma of the salty air. That's what I have to offer. I can offer stability, consistency, reliability, safety, security, navigational skills, and a good, solidly built craft. We CAN have fun on my boat, don't misunderstand me. I just don't confuse danger and excitement. To me, it's not fun to keep wrecking boats and putting them back together again.
Some people don't appreciate my philosophy of sailing. It's not for everyone. If some people want to sail recklessly and foolishly, they can sail any way they want to and get on board with anyone they choose. It's their voyage. I'm not going to dive in after them or even throw them a life preserver, though, if they're going to choose to drown.
Wanna go sailing?
Cheers!
Some people like rough seas. They enjoy the danger and the excitement. As long as they feel like they're always going to be rescued or that they have a safety net, they don't mind the thought of a shipwreck. It's part of the appeal, and they can always get another boat. Someone will always be there to pull them out of the water. To these people, being tossed around on the waves is exhilarating. They prefer the sea to be turbulent. It even adds to their enjoyment if they know that the boat they're on is in need of serious repairs. What other people see as dangerous storms, they misinterpret as the "passion" of the ocean. What these people often don't realize, though, is that there are rocks under the waves. Even if other people point out the obvious dangers, they ignore them. Even if all the weather forecasts they hear point to a Perfect Storm, these people often think that they know the weather and the ocean better than other people do, even better than trained, experienced meteorologists. Be careful around these people. They can be really good at convincing you to come along for the ride. Don't do it. If they insist on sailing into a storm, all you can do is let them go.
If you were to sail with me on my boat, I can't offer you the certainty of dangerous, stormy seas. If we encounter them, I feel like I've learned the skills to be able to navigate safely through them. What I won't do is sail into them or go looking for them, simply to add excitement to my journey, and I certainly won't ignore serious warnings from people I trust for the sake of going somewhere that I've never been before. To me, boats are much too precious to waste or take for granted.
I was asked recently by someone when I thought our relationship had "peaked". I think this person may have been looking for some moment, some event, some specific memory to which I could point, after which - having reached its pinnacle - our relationship presumably went into a valley from which it never recovered. I didn't have one to offer. I'm not really a "peaks and valleys" kind of a guy (although I could certainly have come up with a "valley" or two if she had asked for that). To put this in a nautical context, the thing that I enjoyed the most was the simple act of sailing with this person, every day, and then returning to the safety of the harbor each night and breathing in the aroma of the salty air. That's what I have to offer. I can offer stability, consistency, reliability, safety, security, navigational skills, and a good, solidly built craft. We CAN have fun on my boat, don't misunderstand me. I just don't confuse danger and excitement. To me, it's not fun to keep wrecking boats and putting them back together again.
Some people don't appreciate my philosophy of sailing. It's not for everyone. If some people want to sail recklessly and foolishly, they can sail any way they want to and get on board with anyone they choose. It's their voyage. I'm not going to dive in after them or even throw them a life preserver, though, if they're going to choose to drown.
Wanna go sailing?
Cheers!
posted by Dave at 3:14 PM
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