rhys :

On Thu, 7 Apr 2005 18:16:33 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
dougdotson@NOSPAMcablespeedNOSPAMcom wrote:

What does this have to do with boating?

Everything. Carpe bloody diem is the point. A large part of my game
plan is to purchase a world cruiser in my 40s from a guy in his late
60s who planned and scrimped and built and saved...and then got
sick/too old/too tired/too consumed with kids, grandkids, whatever.

Opportunistic? Oh, probably, but I've seen too many good sailors
swallow the anchor on their dream of long-term cruising because the
circumstances were never quite good enough.

Bull****.

You could be dead tomorrow. Sail today, or as close to today as you
can, because regret is a living death.

Right, due to personal reasons it looks like my plans to build and sail on my
own boat will never come true. So instead I go to the cabin up north and try
to go wilderness camping in as many diffirent parks as possible. This year
my camping trips spread out from Canada to New York State.

Repeatly over the years, I have been told by my parents/brothers that I
should not go on particular trips because the weather will be bad, not
getting promoted at work and other reasons. I still went and will continue
to go.

On the otherhand, my parents who planned to vacation after thier retirement
all over Europe found themselves stuck at home taking care of my brother
Wanye who is in a coma from a drunk driver. Up to the time of the accident
my parents always talked about trips after they retire. Infact they could
have gone before retirement, my mom had lots of vacation time held over, my
dad self-employed as a real estate agent - and they did do one trip so I know
that it was possible for them to do. There was no reason they could not have
gone every single year, but it was always 'after we retire'.

Now last year my Dad died when his appendix ruptured, we did not see that one
coming I tell you.

My mom plans gone, my Dad gone, and they both could have gone dozens of times
before Wanye's accident.

If you have a chance to enjoy life, and you are not going to hurt anyone
else, try to take it.

I got to watch a loon family grow up on my lake, I climbed mountains, canoed
lakes I never knew existed ten years ago, watch the Northern Lights where the
nearest town was over a hundred kilometers away, watched waterspouts dance on
the same lake that my cabin is on and many, many more things.

My parents have - 'when we retire', only to find that they did not have it
then. And can never have it now.

Earl Colby Pottinger

PS. I also help with my brother, that is why no sailing.



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