Journeys in life…

Journeys are more than just trips from one place to another, journeys are also the passage from one time to another. For instance, the journey of the mind from youth to maturity or perhaps the journey from sanity to insanity. Each time we, as individuals, move through our life there are journeys that occur. I have had quite a few journeys in life that have taken me through a range of challenges, emotions, and experiences. These life events that appear as journeys seem to have a deeper, more long lasting affect on the spirit of the individual.

It was about ten years ago that I became interested in sailing. It all started with a wonderful memory of being about twelve years old and sailing with a friend on a small lake. Neither one of us knew anything about sailing but we took off across the lake in a small dinghy with the wind at our back and the exuberance of youth in our heart along with a general disregard for safety pushing us forward. We made it in no time to the other side of the lake and had the realization that getting back was going to be quite a bit more difficult with the wind in our face. We soon learned the art of the tack and after quite a few changes in direction we finally made it back to the shore. Just a few hours of time, never the less it was a journey that stayed with me for my life. So ten years ago I began to approach this desire to sail again as an adult and started with books to learn and understand the art of sailing. But there is only so much you can learn from a book before you finally need to just get out on the water and experience the wind. I decided to take a few lessons to start to put the pieces of my book knowledge together with the sensations of actually being on the water. My wife and I purchased our first sailboat approximately seven years ago and began our journey as sailors.

The most interesting part of the entire journey to become a sailor is the people and experiences along the way. Setting up the mast for the first time, rigging the sails, and setting out from shore for the first time. Everyone we met had a host of helpful hints to move us on through our journey. We went from novice sailors watching the weekly sailboat racing series from a distance, to being directly involved with the racing community. The sailors would join together at the “Liars Table” to talk about the events that unfolded through the race and to exaggerate the truth just a bit along the way. The more experienced sailors would talk us through how to make improvements in our technique for starting the race, getting around a mark, improving our tacks and jibes. Suzy and I became Sailors of the Year with our club in just our first year of participation in the racing series. The sails are a bit more ragged after those years of racing but our love for sailing is strong.

Journeys can change you forever and keep you strong through difficult times. Until next time, keep building your adventures as you journey through time.