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The large, fiberglass platform plunges headfirst into a looming swell, tossing a myriad of salt-laced water droplets against my already salty skin. A smile quickly forms from ear to ear and I laugh at the dirty tricks that the ocean plays on its puppets: mortal men. With each wave comes the same routine. The salty wind gusts, the boat shudders, and the water flies. Every year thousands like me are put to the same test on the earth's playing field. A common question is asked of them all, but with quite different answers: Can I handle this onslaught called the ocean? For some, the wind is ferocious and they tack back toward their safety net of land. For others, the calling of the wind and waves has stimulated their inner being and they hold their course straight and true.
The ocean is the supreme teacher that some of us have in life. During the miles that pass under our keel, we learn life's lessons. Ever since I first stepped on a boat nine years ago, I have been learning these lessons in a way that no one forgets. Sailing has taught me the respect that I have to this day. It has been said by the best of our forefathers that the man cannot tame the ocean, he can only respect it. When mortal man goes out on the ocean, the tables are turned. The game is no longer played on level ground with someone dealing you a fair hand. Our new adversary is no longer going to play fair. Power is not measured by the strength of one's arm, but in the destructiveness of gallons of water. The ocean is immortal, its life defined by every wave, the same waves which show man his fallibility. When the wind howls like the fierce beasts of the Serengeti, we learn our true ability to cope, to howl back with a larger roar.
We climb the rigging of life to check the horizon for looming obstacles. We make a decision, return to the safety of the cockpit, and alter course slightly. This is a time when one's choice is not whether or not they will learn, but when. When we embark upon the ocean we are forced to make the decisions that will bring us back alive. In a time where our adversaries are surrounding us, this not only applies to the ocean's obstacles, but to those of everyday as well. With every wave that strikes the bow, we are strengthened. The ocean's fury teaches us to succeed in life. I have survived the blow of the first few waves, the whirlwind that life has thrown me into, but every wave is a new test of will, a test that I will keep diving into headfirst.
Christopher Sousa
Please e-mail questions or comments to [email protected]
Go back to my Alberg 30 page