So...

The sailing season is over and Cincinnati saw its first snowfall today. It's no wonder there's been a lack of posts this month what with the lack of pertinent news. However, the winter months often seem well suited for reflection and meditation. With that in mind, I'd like to comment on how wonderful this past summer has been. To be specific- how the acquisition of the boat has changed my life in a way I never could have expected.

Originally meant to be an escape from reality and life in general, I see now that it was so much more. The small, simple glimpses of freedom and pure enjoyment sparked a flame of heightened passion and acted as a catalyst to something greater. Pre-boat, the latter was something that could only be accomplished through some grand world-altering gesture. Now, I feel the term "greater" is in fact only truly realized though its inverse "less." The less you have the less you have to lose, the less you have to worry about and the more you're grateful for what you do have. In my current state of mind this means less needless complication; which in turn allows more time and energy to be spent on what I consider important. When all the excess is gone the things that are left are precisely what deserve my passion.

It's been surprisingly easy reprogramming my mind to appreciate things I've learned to take for granted and also to understand that some things are out of my control. Every single day there are a million opportunities to overcomplicate the simple act of living and to find countless reasons to complain about the way things are. Both being fantastic ways to waste valuable resources in contemplation.

Reading back on this, it all seems so simple. I assumed that these were skills I had mastered long ago, when in reality I never really understood what they meant. At the risk of sounding preachy, please pause for a moment and really think on this... I realize simplicity isn't (and shouldn't be) everyone's ultimate goal in life, however most would admit to some amount of excess and needless complication. Think of the things and people that are important to you and question if you're offering all the attention they deserve. The next time you get upset over something you have no direct influence on, ask if your reaction is beneficial or just feeding your contempt. These all are issues I will continually struggle with yet due to the whole S. S. Sailboat Experiment, feel I have gained a more lucid awareness of.

On a lighter note, expect some more videos, pictures and stories of our adventures this past summer over the next handful of chilly months. There has also been some discussion of a musical incentive to boost the non-existent PayPal donations.