The Call—& Callouses—of the Sea
- Apparent
- Sailing is a hobby for a man with a desk job.
- True
- Some people cannot spend forty years at a desk, and the sea is a real answer rather than a consolation.
While I’m rather cerebral (a book worm, I studied intellectual history, worked for think tanks, pursue a rich inner life…) I’ve come to see and feed my needs for physical adventure.
The pandemic forced this — and led me to quadruple my time sailing, by snow birding to and fro Mexico’s Pacific coasts a few years and in 2022 taking on side gigs teaching sailing and coaching races.
While sailing will remain my avocation (mainly as my vocation calls to me so much louder), I would like to see others consider maritime and other outdoor professions — or avocations, even if only in retirement.
A New York Times piece, which I wish I wrote myself, has some great perspectives, by both the think tankers and the tankermen — all my brothers from other mothers.
Read on sail-lore.com“there’s always going to be this sort of built-in group of folks who cannot — just cannot — stand seeing themselves sitting at a desk for 30, 40, 50 years. It’s this hands-on business almost like, you know, when you’re a kid and you’re playing with trucks or toys, and then you get to do it in the life-size version.”