"Paul Cassel" wrote in message
. ..
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:


I'm not bitter I'm just fed up with the way people don't seem to be
able to prioritize these days. Why is it that fully half the people
you see walking down a sidewalk or shopping in a store or eating in a
restaurant or driving their automobile are having cell phone
conversations. It's not necessary to be doing so and it's dangerous
and most of the time it's rude.

If you're off cruising then enjoy cruising. If you can't enjoy an
activity without having to be talking on the phone 24/7 about it then
why are you really doing it? So, somebody is "anxious" about your
situation. Too bad! It's their way of thinking and their negativism.
Maybe if they weren't catered to 24/7 they might have a chance to
develop a more mature and realistic attitude. I was always taught
that no news is good news. I have found that old adage to be very
accurate.

There are some things that people do like climbing a mountain, or
cruising far offshore or scuba diving where it's reasonable to expect
they will be out of touch with civilization. What makes people think
they are so important that everybody in the world must have instant
access to them and they to the world? Is it an ego problem or is it
just a bad habit? I think it's some of both.

Family and friends should allow a man some space and some freedom
without making him feel guilty about having to constantly keep in
touch. Having keeping in touch as a priority when you're way out on
the ocean somewhere cruising getting away from it all seems an
unnecessary burden to all parties concerned. How can anybody get away
from it all while taking it all with them?

Does anybody really know what it means to cruise or voyage anymore?


No argument except I think you are taking this to an extreme. I lived
aboard and sailed for 6 years with nothing at all in communications. I
didn't even have a VHF 'ship to shore'. That was ok.

I used to joke with my (now late) wife that those guys who had CB's
were hoping to get the traffic reports from truckers - or why else did
they have them? I thought it silly.

However, today we have new tech. If I were to sail again far offshore
like I did singlehanded in 2002-2003, I'd like to be able to call my
daughter and tell her things were ok with me. She was very anxious
with me offshore last time. I call to make myself feel better about
her anxiety at my being offshore. It's not like a 14 year old girl can
'give me space' or I should expect it from her.

This does not mean that I'd be chatting continually with her or
anybody or that I'd scream for help if a seacock developed a seep. In
fact, I don't see rescue at sea as something which would occur no
matter what electronics I have. I don't see the Navy or whatever
having enough interest in me to do anything.

Being on a cruise and continually chatting with folks on shore about
what their TV stars are up to is one thing. Just being able to call my
daughter, if I see fit to, once a week or so, is another thing.

Can't you see there is a distinction?

-paul

I can't see the distinction. In my opinion, my relatives just have to
accept the fact that I'll be out of touch. I will not enable them to be
worrywarts every time they don't get a daily or weekly telephone call.
That's not the real world and my relatives must accept the fact I live
in the real world even if they choose to live in a technological fantasy
land.

Just once, I'd like to hear another man saying something like this: "I
call my (relative or loved ones) more because it makes ME feel more
secure and necessary than because it makes them less anxious."

Go ahead, be honest. Admit you're doing it mostly for YOU. Don't try to
beat around the bush and couch it in terms of easing somebody else's
mind. That's a cop-out and you know it.

Wilbur Hubbard