This posting goes out to a sailboat named "Majic Star" out of Detroit, Michigan. I'm sure the owners/occupants of the Majic Star will never read this posting, but I'm writing it just the same.
The Majic Star was next to our boat at the DeTour Village public marina recently. What caught my eye, at first, were the five bicycles on her deck, two of which were children's bikes. Shortly after the boat docked, in the rain, two 'youngish' children appeared on deck with PFDs and later rain slickers and umbrellas, clearly having fun. When the rain stopped, an adult male, perhaps the dad (?) had the kids help him 'swab the deck'. All three appeared to be having a good time.
I'd like to take this opportunity to praise whomever the adults were with the children on the Majic Star. I remember when our children were younger and we would pile all of our gear into a mini van as well as fill up a seventeen foot fishing boat, and have bicycles on a bike rack on the back of the van. Family camping is a wondrous thing but, still, a lot of work in terms of bringing everyone's 'fun stuff' plus all of those 'things' deemed as necessary. For theadults reading this, you know what I mean. When we were children, we could not wait until our family trip occurred. Now as adults, we understand what has to take place in order to make the vacation or trip happen.
Back to the Majic Star.
I am not a sailboater - I am one of those boaters that most sailboaters deride - but I do respect the sailors for one basic reason.......it is a lot of work to sail. If you look closely at a sailboat, there is just a lot of 'stuff' to handle, manage, move, wrangle with, etc. There are lines everywhere and where there isn't a line, there is something big and bulky to deal with that probably has a line attached to it somewhere. So, not only was the Majic Star a sailboat but it was a sailboat on a vacation with a family on it. Imagine the memories that those children will have as adults and imagine what life skills they will learn because some adult took the time to take the time to help make those memories.
I salute all parents who are working hard, not only in the world, but working at helping make memories for their children, who may, in turn, help make memories for their children.
And so it goes.
Ancora imparo
