~~~~~~~~~~~~~~RAIN DOG'S BLOG~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Thursday, August 19, 2010

Mashed Potato Mountain


Remember the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Remember how Dreyfus was obsessed with the mountain? Everywhere he looked he saw the mountain, he even sculpts the mountain out of his mashed potatoes. He finally gives in to the need to find this mountain, to follow the irresistible pull of his vision, no matter how illogical or crazy it seems. Once he is finally on his journey to find this mountain he meets others who have the same vision, the same need. It comes to light that people from all over the world find their way to that mountain because of this irresistible, unexplainable pull.

Well, I see many similarities to my sailor friends to the characters in that movie. My sailor friends come from all walks of life, from all over the world. We all have that same pull, that same need to be on the water. We all have laid awake at night plotting the moment we will have our boat and we all have dreamed of blue water. We leave our homes, some quit their jobs, give up their lifestyles, just to be with the sea.



Sometimes bewildered that we find ourselves here on the water, but all the while knowing that this is exactly where we belong. Inexplicable, illogical, and unexplainable to many (ie landlubbers). For some, this life afloat is as predetermined as the characters in the movie finding that mountain, to ignore the call is - unthinkable.

My co workers told me about a house that is for sale cheap, said it would be a great house for me. Frankly, it was the craziest thing I'd ever heard (borderline insulted to even suggest it). Why the heck would I live in a house? I looked at them incredulously and told them that even if they gave me a house I'd still live on my boat. Again, why the heck would I live in a house? What could possibly possess me to live on land? It could be a gold plated mansion and my answer would be the same. Living on land has zero appeal (ie unthinkable). I have told my friends at work that I choose to live on my boat but some just can't seem to fathom that I don't want to live in a big house with all the trimmings. I think some may think that I am too poor to own a house, maybe that is why I live on a boat. And some think I am just uninformed about a new invention called four walls and a roof,(sigh). I don't know, landlubbers are very weird (period).


A close encounter with a ship (excuse the pun), I think this is the Gulf of Mexico.


This week was a bit crazy at work. We had a patient code on the table, we performed CPR for over a half an hour. Thanks to an incredible team effort he is still alive today. I could never post all my thoughts about my experience as a nurse, but I will say that I work with some amazing and selfless doctors and nurses.
Erika

5 comments:

Bill said...

If the house is "given" take it, sell it and pocket (cruising kitty) the cash. LOL

Alexandra aka mom said...

Nooooooo, don't take the house. It will just develop into so many complications you will cry!!! Ask me.

Erika (aka Ocean Girl) said...

Says the woman in the process of selling her house.

Don't worry mom, they will have to take me kicking and screaming, or a better analogy is -my cold dead corpse (a cheery thought).

Last night the doctors were making fun of me and my love of my life afloat (they are always poking fun). I finally tired of the ribbing and challenged them to give me one good reason to live on land, just ONE. They couldn't. I gloated the whole day over that one. I really put them in their place! Landlubber think they are so superior..but we know better (she says superiorly).
Erika

Ken n Cheryl said...

We can't wait to sell our house! And yes, so many people think we're nuts when we tell them we're selling everything to live on a boat. They just don't get it.

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