Richard continues talking about the life and Sailing, and what its taught him. He gets into knots part way through the book, how the knots sailors make are the ones that are not only easy to tie, and hold under all conditions but are also easy to untie even when wet.
He doesn’t say this in his story but I feel that he included this because his first marriage fell apart after 30 years and it was because the knot they had tied when they first got married had become tangled. It couldn’t be fixed without using a knife to cut it apart.
It also resulted in him becoming becalmed in life as he discussed earlier. He had to slow down and wait for the breeze to guide him on his new path.
He moves on to talking about his boat being a forgiving boat. It was his realization that the maze of rules and regulations that we accept without thought, cause most of our consternation.
How some of us accept apologies without forgiving those giving the apologies, and how this has colored many relationships. He moves on through his next chapter being more philosophical.
How he learned that his goal wasn’t to harness and fight the elements but to become one with them. He using the word atonement and says does not mean to make amends for your sins but to being one with God.
He was not religious, but he understood that one has to become one with the gods of wind, sun, moon and water if you were to be a great sailor. What matters in life is what he calls the “Dailiness of life.”
Appreciating the little things around you and contemplating their existence. As he moves on into the next chapter, he comments that when sailing there are many points on the compass rose and you cannot pursue all of them at the same time.
He found that life like sailing, you had to pick a direction as your goal. Those who had direction in their lives were the ones who were most likely to succeed. I found it interesting that he was able to weave a story of his experiences sailing into how they applied to life.
Next post I will finish up the book and how it applied to those planning on how to approach the third phase of their lives. If you have struggled with this question and others then go to Patterson2Y2R.com/blog should be a place you should visit to share your stories and challenges.
I have an ear that would love to hear your stories. Let’s taste the real meaning of life. I am still working on my course with a goal of launching a starter course by June 30th, and I will keep you abreast as to how the process goes.
If you want to participate in this process and join my first class please send me an email to bobchuckpatterson@yahoo.com
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