Choices

I was doing my laundry in Marsh harbour, which for a cruiser meant I had to find a laundromat and as usual there were some others there and while you wait for the washing machine and dryer it is not unusual to pick up a conversation or two. Anyway because I didn't have any laundry detergent a kind lady offered me some of hers and we struck up a conversation. I'm sure you have heard her story before or one like it. Her husband had retired and they had bought a beautiful Catamaran with the intention of going cruising. Well 6 months ago, her husband had a medical checkup and the doctor pronounced him fit and healthy and to go off and enjoy his retirement. Nine days later he suffered a heart attack and passed away. At this stage my new friend broke down and started crying. Between tears she explained that she now had to find a way to get the boat back to Stuart, Florida and to sell it. She was crying because she missed her husband and it was so sad to see how unhappy she was in a virtual paradise in the Bahamas. She regarded herself as tough enough to get through this ordeal and hopefully she will make it.

We all make choices in our lives and some like to live their lives to the fullest every day, while others save up for the day that they can stop working and go traveling. Alternatively you can go small and go now, but it is not for the feint of heart. A couple of weeks ago, in Bermuda I saw a young couple load 5 bags of groceries onto their paddle board in the pouring nighttime rain and wind to go out to their anchored boat. If you do decide to do the concrete jungle/cubicle thing, you better make sure that you exercise and eat healthy otherwise you'll end up like a lot of my peers who have health issues.

Yesterday was a travel day for me and now I am sitting in Back Creek on a mooring in Annapolis. The mast is on the dock having new rigging put on it by the riggers.

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