“You say you still are sailing? What a silly way to go!
It's hopelessly old-fashioned and incredibly slow.
The way to cross an ocean is inside a modern jet.
That's how to get there quickly without ever getting wet.”
We often hear such comments from the folks who stay on land.
Explanation is not easy but to help them understand
We simply speak of lifestyles and say anyone can choose
To wander barefoot down a beach or stride in city shoes;
To cheer the dolphins at your bow as they make playful leaps
Or watch an in-flight movie up at thirty thousand feet;
To live at anchor, move at will and change your front door view
Or have foundations firmly fixed and keep your neighbors too;
To see the sun rise from the waves to shine on foreign shores
Or hear alarm clocks buzzing to begin your daily chores;
To scan the sky for signs of rain in weather mostly fine
Or read the daily papers full of politics and crime;
To haul a heavy anchor, raise the sails and glide away
Or lift and pull and pedal gym machines for which you pay;
To schedule for slack current through a channel fairly tight
Or plan a short vacation with a hotel room and flight;
To catch a tuna on your line whose steaks are fresh (you know!)
Or buy a plastic-wrapped fillet fast-frozen months ago;
To pluck some mussels from the rocks and put them on to steam
Or grab a coffee and donuts for meeting with your team;
To trade old reading glasses for bananas - a whole stalk -
Or write a memo for your boss and hear much business talk;
To wear a broad-rimmed floppy hat, old t-shirt, faded shorts
Or knot a tie with business suit, dress right for days in courts;
To row a dinghy to the shore, get food at market stalls
Or drive a car on crowded streets to shop in massive malls;
To watch a green flash sunset while you sip a mellow rum
Or navigate through traffic on your homeward evening run;
To learn from other cultures bits of wisdom that they know
Or see the network broadcasts of some titillating show;
To read aboard a quiet boat just resting on the waves
Or watch the latest sitcom as your television plays;
A person makes these choices whether consciously or not
And lives a chosen lifestyle in a home or on a yacht.
It doesn't cost us millions, we're not Vanderbilts you know,
Just folks who love far places, and by sailing we can go.
This cruising life is certainly a special thing to do.
We're happy with the life we have and hope you like yours too.