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Sassea Sails

SAILING, METAPHORS, ADVENTURE,

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Book/Movie Reviews

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With the passing of one life’s chapter and onto a chilling new one, the dilemma of which subscriptions to keep and which ones to let drift off is haunting. It is like saying goodbye to friends. Keeping them takes time. How many newsletters can I read each month?

My commitment to make use of the anticipated days, weeks and hours spent indoors in front of the wood burning stove or up in the loft contemplating the stillness of a fourteen thousand foot high mountain peak needs to be honored. If I am going to devote 4 – 6 hours a day writing I have to be more selective in choosing what to read.

Reading about my life’s passions is inspiring. It is a double edge sword. I don’t want to miss an opportunity to stay active while garnering insights. Yet, I want to avoid distractions. With ADHD comes the constant interruption. There is a movie about a dog who perpetually chases squirrels. Squirrels have become my token to remind me to stay put. In fact I bought a little ceramic squirrel for my herb garden. It was easy to decide to take him from the hot, humid swamp land to the frigid below freezing temperatures where he will reside at 7000 feet above sea level. Maybe he will perch himself on the windowsill where the view of Spanish Peaks beckons me to climb.

Back to subscriptions, it is with sadness that I bid my membership with the East Coast Sailing Association Adieu. I already cancelled my membership with the Melbourne Yacht Club last year. Recently, I resigned from the Board of Directors with the Museum of the Everglades.

Thankfully the internet allows connection with these three groups. Although I won’t get the privileged membership benefits, it is consoling to know that even when one unsubscribes, they can still stay up to date.

 

 

FULL CIRCLE by Ellen MacArthur

Ellen’s book, “Full Circle,” confirmed the intelligence, ambition, and understandably of an incredible  woman. How many women do you know have sailed in a boat by themself? Well, Ellen did. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean when she was in her early twenties. And then, she went on to break the around the world single handed sailboat challenge.  Knowing Ellen’s round the world record breaking feat was completed on a trimaran further compelled me to put her on my list of heroes.  Before I could read her book I had to conquer my struggles with jealousy. More on that later.

The first half of Ellen’s book focuses on the 2004 round the world single handed race in which she broke the record. A more amazing challenge is told in the second half of the book when Ellen reveals her choice to hand up her sailing gloves. She calls it ‘sustainability.’ Her influence both in sailing and sustainability are a part of my everyday life.

As a reader/learner I develop an intimate relationship with the written words. Notes are written in the margins, with arrows pointing to pertinent phrases, and words I want to add to my everyday vocabulary. So it is no surprise that on April 18, 2017 I wrote these words on the front page of Full Circle.

To pick up this book to read has brought tears as the reality of my aspiration met with who I am, a dreamer, a jealous want to be extraordinary sailor–a solo round the world sailor, maybe one…not today!

Quote from the book:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”   Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Hear Ellen’s Own Words at:

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