I feel as I imagine a boxer feels after a tough fifteen round fight or NFL players feel Monday morning. For those of you in other countries substitute rugby. My shoulders and my hands ache; my back is stiff; there are other miscellaneous twinges and pains, and inertia—my body tends to freeze in whatever position it finds itself. None of this is severe.
I tell myself: What did you expect you old fool? You are seventy-seven years old. That is and is not relevant.
While I know that I am not what I once was, I like to believe it probable that anyone who just sailed GANNET or a boat like her, assuming there are any, for 45 days from Panama to San Diego in the same weather we had would ache some, whether he or she was 77 or 27.
The ocean does not give senior discounts and if it did I would refuse to accept one. Compromised the experience would not be worthwhile.
The cure is time. I know I heal more slowly than the young, but I am confident I will. During that process thanks to the generosity of others I have in the evening ample liquid to ease the pain.
I fly tomorrow to Chicago and Carol and what should be an easy life for a while. This week I have often found myself doing something as simple as making a cup of coffee and thinking: Everything is so easy here. I would not want to have lived a life of nothing but ease, but I’m happy to for a while.
I will return to GANNET in about six weeks.
I am under the impression that I am caught up with email. If you wrote to me and didn't receive a response, please write again. Sometimes emails just disappear.
And to Rod, in the confusion Monday morning I don't recall if I thanked you for meeting me at the dock. If I didn't, I apologize and do so now. It was appreciated.
I am under the impression that I am caught up with email. If you wrote to me and didn't receive a response, please write again. Sometimes emails just disappear.
And to Rod, in the confusion Monday morning I don't recall if I thanked you for meeting me at the dock. If I didn't, I apologize and do so now. It was appreciated.
I heard no news from when I sailed from Balboa until two days before I arrived in San Diego when I turned on my little Sony receiver and got an all news station in Los Angeles. After listening for a little while, I thought as I always have after making contact again with what calls itself ‘civilization: I’ve been gone six weeks and you people are still doing and saying the same stupid things. It is time to get your act together, people.
But I don’t expect people will.
To no one’s surprise who has been reading this for a while, I’m already packed and ready to go.
The next from the flatlands.
