by Ray Jason
 |
| AVENTURA happily at Sea |
A cold front has lost its bearings
and meandered all the way down to the Banana Latitudes. The evening chill is quite refreshing. In a celebratory gesture, I light AVENTURA’S
kerosene lamps. Normally, they heat up
the boat too much when I am south of the Tropic of Discontent. But tonight … they are perfectissimo!
The warm, amber light is so
different from the sterile, blue, fluorescent lamps that I use most of the
time. It not only illuminates, but it also
pleases the senses with its gentle flicker and its subtle smokiness. It enriches the already magical beauty of my
little ship’s small, tidy cabin.
The dark, gorgeous mahogany wood
shimmers. The polished brass barometer
gleams. The white, glossy bulkheads
sparkle. The stained-glass red rose that
decorates the liquor cabinet, takes on a richer hue. The stainless steel trim on the miniature
fireplace shines.
Directly opposite me is part of my
excellent ship’s library. Nearby is a
shelf with my collection of about 50 classic films. The galley pantry is full of delicious,
healthy foods. In the forward cabin is a
rack for my champagne flutes and my gorgeous Japanese sake set is secured in a
padded locker. A life of un-tethered
travel and freedom combined with simple creature comforts. I seek no more than this.
*******
As my eyes continue to savor the honey-golden glow of the cabin, my sailor’s ears detect something different in the sound tapestry. It rapidly swells from muted to dramatic as a tropical deluge thunders into the bay. A powerful swirl of wind heels little AVENTURA over about 20 degrees and then she eases back up to vertical. It reminds me that my sea gypsy sweetheart is not just lovely – she is strong.
There were times when conditions out
on the Wide Waters were so fierce and frenzied that all I could do was cower
below and hope we would survive the tempest.
The rugged Aries self-steering vane kept us on course and the
deeply-reefed sails propelled us along like an above-water torpedo. Some nights were so utterly demonic and
terrifying, that I had to subdue my fear with shots of rum. But AVENTURA never failed me as she sheltered
me through long, furious hours where dawn seemed as elusive as a fool’s dream.
AVENTURA is the Spanish word for
Adventure. And every single time that I have
cleared into a Latin American country, the Port Captain would read that name in
my ship’s papers, slowly look up at me … and smile! For if there were ever two perfect mates they
would be a Sailing Boat and Adventure.
Dolphins showing me a moon-bow in
the far Pacific … a century-old lighthouse flashing out a course to safety
after a storm-flung passage … a mid-ocean rendezvous with a fellow solo sailor
… sharing sublime romance with some of the exquisite women in my life - far
from the tribulations of the misnamed Real World. All of these and so much more have been
bequeathed me by my mistress of the sea.
*******
One of AVENTURA’S greatest gifts has
been her ability to shelter me from world weariness – or more accurately from what
I call “Humanity Fatigue.” Early in my
teens I already knew that my temperament would be both a blessing and a
curse. Some impulse had been seeded
within me that urged me to understand Life as deeply and honestly as
possible.
Thoreau helped spark this with his non-conformist
encouragement to follow one’s own drummer.
I once made a pilgrimage to Walden Pond and sat for hours by the
foundation of his tiny cabin. I probably
looked like a fool to the other visitors that day, but I was trying to become
philosophically drunk on his love for learning and Life. When I returned to my little ship, I measured
her interior dimensions and was delighted to learn that I was making my own
attempt to decode the world in a space almost the same size as his little
house.
*******
I firmly believe that a well-lived human life is a
voyage towards Awakening. But as one expands
their awareness, they are also likely to increase their disillusionment. Because with careful examination, the vast foundational
institutions that supposedly help us and nourish us, are revealed to be tragically
fraudulent.
Government does not serve the wishes of the
people. It expands and consolidates the
power of those ruthless enough to acquire high office. Churches do not care about the spiritual and
temporal health of their flocks. They
prefer to dominate and fleece them.
Education does not encourage critical thinking. It is just sophisticated vocational training
so that the machines can be operated.
The Media goliaths do not inform us and expand our horizons. Instead, they narrow our perspectives and
breed hive-mind. The police are no
longer the friendly cops on the beat.
They have morphed into Kevlar-coated storm troopers.
Almost every aspect of human society is dysfunctional
and obscene. And yet how do people react
to these appalling aberrations – with APATHY.
As long as they can have 200 channels of Distractovision … as long as
the drones are attacking people somewhere “over there” … as long as they can
stay connected to their 847 Facebook “friends” through their iSlave devices … then
they will not resist the cultural death march towards Insaneistan.
*******
With such a pessimistic – or in my opinion “realistic” – appraisal of modern civilization, one might expect that I spend my days wallowing in Despair. But in fact, my life is mostly happy and meaningful. And AVENTURA is the reason for this paradoxical contentment.
Every time the Humanity Fatigue weighs too heavily
upon me, I sail away from it all. Out on
the Wide Waters there is no human presence.
My only companions are the creatures of the Sea and the Sky. It is all so elemental and enormous. The great winds, the towering clouds, the
vast dome of the night sky, the staggering grandeur of it all - replenishes me
like an oasis of the soul.
So, thank you, AVENTURA, my little ship, for your many
blessings. And most especially for
helping me to escape when the tribulations of land life were too overwhelming. You have cocooned me magnificently with your
beauty and strength every single time that I needed the healing waters of
Mother Ocean.