Let me live until I die

I have been lazy today. Well, I did get some things done. I ran some errands, paid some bills, and spent a lot of time looking on my favorite eye candy site Yacht World.

Yes, I have the bug back about getting a bigger sailboat. So I read up on several of my favorites like Shannon, Valiant, Cape Dory, Hallburg-Rassey, Island Packet and others. I also talked to a yacht surveyor today about doing a survey of a 36 foot Cape Dory that I have had my eye on at one of the local marinas.

I have this notion that I want to do some coastal cruising, like head up to Cape Cod. Some of this seafaring lust may be coming from a great desire to escape the heat. Lord, it has been really awful here this week. Who wouldn't want to go on a cruise to northern climes in this weather.

But like with most dreams, reality has to settle in. The surveyor has some concerns about the age of the boat. She was built in 1979 which means that she has a few years on her parts. And I have nothing against a tried and true beauty with some age, but when you hear words like blistered skin, old cracks, and hours of use...well, it takes a bit of the fervor out of my desire.

I'm not giving up on her but have decided to have her tested thoroughly before I propose. Jumping into a relationship with this boat could be like a marriage. So I had best gather as much information as possible and not get too carried away.

And maybe that is what I have mostly done all my life--get the information before getting carried away. Well, I know that I failed to do that with my wife and look at where we are--still married after the many naysayers said that our being together was doomed to failure. And most of them are divorced. Miracles never cease.

If I don't venture forth and take some risks in this life, it seems pretty boring. I can come up with many reasons to take the safe route in life, relationships, jobs, and many other things. But somehow that seems to be less and less appealing as I get older. I am beginning to think that the old prayer of "Lord, let me live until I die" makes a lot more sense.

I have spent enough time doing what had to be done, and I have had a really good time doing some exciting things with my work. But I won't be one who wants to dream from an arm chair. I want to be out there living and doing.

We'll see how my dreams of the boat go. Maybe this old girl won't be the one, but there are lots of beauties out there. One of them might just have what it takes for us to have a serious love affair. In the meantime, I am planning to live as much as I can each day. And find time to explore other dreams as well.