CALM IS MY SUPERPOWER
Calmness comes in two types.
One type of calm comes in dealing with Mother Nature.
The other type of calm comes in dealing with people.
I don't know if it's just me, but calmness in dealing with Mother Nature is relatively easy.
Calmness in dealing with the human species is an entirely different matter.
Why is this?
Mother Nature is neutral and obeys physical laws. Mother Nature is relatively predictable when you understand the physical laws that rule the seven seas.
Human nature is unpredictable, and at times it is malignant. Some people have an evil agenda, and when combined with no conscience, extremely bad things can happen.
I would rather face Mother Nature any day than deal with evil agendas.
Calm is my superpower when I deal with Mother Nature.
Calmness is much more difficult when sorting out human foibles. It's hard to remain calm when someone is trying to hurt you. Road rage abounds and malignant trolls thrive on human misery testing calmness to the limit.
Maybe that's why I like sailing so much. I don't have to deal with sick psyches and malignant individuals. They are back on shore where they belong, and I am offshore where it's just me and Mother Nature.
Sailing offshore is an aquatic casino in which the odds are stacked in your favor. You commune with the sea and skies that have no agenda, and if you pay attention to what Mother Nature is doing, things will probably turn out fine.
If a problem happens offshore, you understand that you put yourself in harm's way rather than harm coming your way to punish you with an evil agenda.
I am not a brave person, and I make up for my lack of courage with calmness. Calm is the superpower that insures my survival.
When I get in a storm at sea, I fell more irritation than fear. I do what I have to do and can do to keep Exit Only and the crew safe, secure in the knowledge that the odds are stacked in our favor.
While it's true that lightning, high winds, waves, and breaking seas are a threat to Exit Only, it's also true we deal with those challenges calmly.
If Mother Nature was malignant with an evil agenda, our sense of calm would rapidly evaporate into fear and terror.
Fortunately, good seamanship and a knowledge of weather means Exit Only will live to sail another day.
I am glad that Mother Nature is neutral and does not care. At least I have one area of my life where it's easy to remain calm.
That's all I have to say about that.
ADDENDUM: This picture is taken from the deck of Exit Only in the doldrums - monsoon trough - on the 2100 mile sail from Galapagos to Baja California.
We saw plenty of lightning from midnight to 3am for the week that we were in the doldrums. Fortunately, with the help of radar, two engines, and plenty of diesel fuel we remained out of harm's way.
We never lost our cool or our calm.
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
