Chain of Life

Once again I set down to write my next blog and as in the past I apologize for having been so long since my last, but before I begin I would like to share something different. As we all do, we often have many thoughts that pass through our mind as we lay in bed waiting for sleep to take over. Last evening this was the the train of thoughts that passed by me. I have no idea where this came from.

Let me call it the ^^chain of life^^.

A chain is similar to life. It is made of links that are bound together adding length and strength.   It has a beginning and an end. Let us draw a parallel to life and suggest that elements of time are similar to links of a chain. Start with a second. As seconds are added it becomes a minute. Minutes become an hour and hours become a day. Days add up to weeks and weeks add up to a month. Months become a year and years become decades. If a chain breaks, it is because of someones elses choices in how it was manufactured. Our lives are different. Let us stop to look at ourselves at this point of our lives. As our lives have moved along this chain we all taken a path that we have chosen or has been forced on us. To our benefit  we were all given a choice. Once chosen, we can look back to ask ourselves if this choice was correct. Do we have any regrets and did we make mistakes. Any man that suggests that he does not have any regrets nor did he make any mistakes is a fool. Nothing in life is perfect nor are we. As our life moves along this chain, we are given other choices that we can choose to take or remain on the same pass and as such, life continues. As we begin to reach the end of the chain we begin to look back more at the choices we made asking ourselves, on balance, are we content with the paths that we chosen. Is the world a better place with the contributions that we made? Are our children able to make good life choices because of the values we taught them? Have we made friends along the way and have we enriched each others lives? After these and other measures we ask ourselves, on balance are we content? Unfortunately many people do not reach the point in life where they can say they are content as they continue to reach out for more, thinking it necessary.

As I look back at my own life asking these same questions I can now say without doubt that I have reached a point in my life where I am content. Yes I have regrets and yes I have made mistakes. I now work hard to correct the wrongs and ask for forgiveness on those that I can not change. What has brought on this change? It has been the last 5 plus years of cruising that has brought this about. The experiences and the people I have met that have enriched my life. The hardships of many of the people that I have met in the countries I have visited. The adventures I have experienced and yes even the dangers. Choices are still ahead of me. I know this lifestyle can not last forever but a choice to share more of myself with my grandchildren and family is a choice I have already made. Life continues.........

And now onto the regular program.

I am now back in the Pacific ocean after crossing through the Panama Canal one more time, This time I started in the Caribbean and emptied into the Pacific.  I am anchored at Playita harbor. It is a little rolly because of the ships transiting the canal but it is close to the action. It is good to be back on this side. The seas in the Caribbean were challenging to say the least. On a positive note there was always wind to sail. On a negative note it was many times from the wrong direction. Also the wind waves and swells were often from many directions at the same time. This is referred to as confused seas. Something that does not often occur in the Pacific. Wind waves and swells are marching along together in step and swells are several seconds apart from each other. On the negative side, you find yourself motoring more often because of little wind. On a positive note, with each mile I travel I am closer to San Francisco.

It is Saturday the 5th of May. Tomorrow I sail off north to Costa Rica at a port called Golfito. I will stay there a few days visiting friends that are there and then onto El Salvador where I will remain during this year's hurricane season. I am flying home for six weeks to visit friends and family and look forward to kicking my brothers butt in a game of golf.

No photos this time because they would be the same as they were when I came through here more than 2 years ago.

Well that is it for now. Take care and be safe out there.

Denny
s/v Dolce Vita