As I mentioned in the comments from my previous post, I wanted to talk about the sanctuary I found when I started sailing with my dad.
I’ve always loved the water. I think part of it is due to growing up so close to Lake Erie, part of it because I am drawn to its peacefulness and part of it just inherit in me because of I’m a Pisces. The serenity I feel when I’m on the boat is indescribable. All of my thoughts and worries disappear. However, it did not start out this way. When I was younger, whenever I was on the boat, I would get seasick. When I started racing, because I had responsibilities, my mind did not have time to worry about getting sick and I found that I rarely had that nauseous feeling.
Anyway, back to finding peace on the water. Every Wednesday, from the May through mid-September, we would race for about 2 hours, but it was the 30-45 minutes prior to the race when I would completely lose myself. During that time, while heading away from the dock, I would begin to set up the sails. We would head up the channel and slip by the people hanging out on the waterfront on a hot summer night. Once the sails were set and we only had time to kill, I would sit with my back against the mast, facing the bow, away from everyone else on the boat. It was there that I could lose everything in my head.
Staring out over the water, watching the other boats sail by, listening to the seagulls overhead and watching the people on the shore enjoy the summer night, I could let myself go. The troubles of the day, the troubles of life slipped overboard into the water.
It’s very difficult to describe how I would feel for that 30 minutes, other than it was very spiritual for me. These moments were the few times when I was at peace with myself and to tie this together with my comments, I found that my sanctuary was on the bow of that boat, leaning against the mast and soaking in the atmosphere.
4 comments:
The more I sail, the more I would agree with this and feel this too. What a great upbringing. For me it was surfing at 6am. And playing volleyball on the beach with my sister or dad as partners...good family time, good memories
The funny thing was that it had very little to do with being on my dad's boat. It was more the peace and tranquility of being out on the water and finding my own "zone". Although, since it was my dad's boat, that was very nice as well!
I spoke with him this morning and he said it 9 degrees there - not really sailing whether!
in New England too...6 degrees yesterday, 14 today. Getting balmy out!
Geez, it's been a beautiful, 72 and sunny here the last week - to days. I'm playing golf on Sunday to enjoy the weather. I do miss the cold sometimes (not that often).
When I was in Buffalo for a funeral 2 months ago, it was about 10 degrees, with a brisk wind and snowing while we were at the cemetary. It's a good thing I still have all of my winter apparel from when I lived there!
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