Years ago as I was coming home from a cruise sailing down Long Island sound, I was towing my dinghy in increasingly rough seas. The dinghy flipped and the rope broke. My dinghy was left floating upside down in Long Island sound as I navigated in a brisk wind. I was unable to retrieve the dinghy as I had no means of getting it aboard the boat. Luckily I was fairly close to home. After I got to my destination, I called my dad. He studied the wind and the tide and went out in his motor boat with a pretty good idea of where the dinghy should be and he found it! Together we got it aboard his motor boat and got it home.
From my dad I’ve learned lessons about life on the water and life in general. You have to know the wind and the tide. You have to understand their effect on your boat. You have to be prepared for anything. You have to learn not to panic in an emergency. You have to be willing to let go. And you have to be open to creative ideas and to dads who can rescue you. Life has wind and waves and tides and seasons – for sailors and for regular landlubbers. How you approach these daily challenges and the attitude with which you sail, have a huge affect on your well-being. From my quiet dad, I learned to approach life with serenity. Keep calm and carry on!
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