Returning Home

Vacation time is only so long. Other obligations insist upon us.The job(s) call us back to the "real" world. We find ourselves having "returned." Now what?

We find that the true real world has changed us. Our cruising has profoundly changed us, not with any sudden movement, but like water on sandstone, a little bit at a time. Somehow we are different. How long the difference lasts we are not sure about. Hopefully, like water on sandstone, we have been changed forever.

There is a sadness to returning. We want to stay out longer. But there is excitement, too. We are reminded that we belong to a community. Perhaps part of the sadness is on the one hand, not knowing how to share how we have been changed, and on the other, wondering how long it will be before it feels like we've changed "back" into who we were before we left.

Yet, return we do. Return as changed people who have experienced awe, wonder, beauty and grace first hand. Returned as people who wonder how to share this type of experience with others.

What would the world be like if everyone had such opportunities for such experiences?

Blessed Be,

Joel

Neil's Mall - Reuse!

Neil's Mall is located on Lopez Island, near the Village (near Fisherman Bay). The Mall is only open three days a week or so, but well worth visiting. Imagine a church rummage sale in a warehouse type building where everything is ... Free! Yes, Free.

Last week when we visited, our family found tons of books, some knitting needles, music, a "Holland America" bag, and a pair of sorts. We also came back with stories. It was a great experience.

It is all about reusing. Reusing is the second part of the sustainability "trinity:" Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. If we take sustainability seriously, the care for this wonderful God given world, then reusing only makes sense.

Neil must have thought so, too. Being in the garbage business, he must have also been aware of where these things would go if no one could reuse them. Of course, being on an island also ment he knew the price of shipping the "garbage" off island. Why not start a "mall"? People bring things they no longer want/need/have a use for, but that still have "life", so that others can use them. Why not even let people post "want adds:" John's looking for a toaster oven; Jane wants a working TV?

Did you guess? Yes, Neil's Mall is at the Lopez dump. Frankly, I think every community should have one of these. Don't you?

Enjoy finding things to reuse.

Blessed Be
Joel

Traveling Personally

On our cruise ship cruise earlier this summer, my son mentioned one night that while he enjoyed the cruise ship, he found the experience rather impersonal.

I've found myself reflecting upon that statement as we are on our own summer cruise in our own little "ship." We are well aware of the power of currents, waves, winds (or lack there of), and the weather. We experience being tired at the end of one passage and jubilant and full of energy at the end of another. There is a sense that no mater what is going on, we are apart of it.

Maybe this is why I like traveling this way. We are apart of it. We are no longer removed from the natural world. And in the process we feel blessed with a profound sense of the Divine's grace.

May you, too, experience a sense of the Divine's grace while you are out on the water.

Blessed be,
Joel

Relationship Connections

As the above Gary Larson carton* shows, technology allows us to communicate, sometimes with humorous results. Even though cell phone technology is replacing land lines, missdailing still occurs.

Friendships with in the cruising community can happen quickly. There is already a shared interest in boating, in travel, a shared experience of weather or an anchorage upon which to build. There is often a sense of intensity to some of these relationships: We are together for a relatively short time, then we each move on.  Technology allows us to stay in touch in ways we couldn't before.

It was not that long ago when pulling into an anchorage and remembering the friendships formed in this particular place, one would write a later, wait until one visited a place with a mail service to post the letter. The letter would arrive at the recipient's mail "drop" to be forwarded on, or await for pick up. Sometimes, months later one would realize the other boat was only an island away, and both parties would have missed each other.

Now? Last night we pulled into an anchorage with cell/wifi connection (a bit of a surprise). We remembered our time here with others and sent off a quick email. We didn't expect a quick response as we knew they were traveling where cell/wifi services would be limited. They responded with an email saying they were closer than we expected.

I think this technology a good thing, provided we remember that cell service & wifi connections can be spotty at best. That means when the services are available we rejoice to use them, and when there is no service and we discover old friends at anchor, we rejoice at the surprise all the more.

Blessed Be,
Joel

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*Larson, Gary. The Chickens Are Restless: a Far Side collection by Gary Larson. Andrews and McMeel, 1993:6.