You know me...everything is an adventure and you're right, for years now "Dragon" has been my escape hatch, so to speak. She still is and will be for a long time to come. Believe it or not, after spending seventeen years is one place, I remember and appreciate the art of finding joy where my feet are planted. Although, much like Fitz in 'Martin Vane Says Hello', I too have forgotten the meaning of life, intentionally at times, only to awake later and be mesmerized by the joy of find myself all over again.
The idea of the boat however, has been in my psyche since I was very young. Why is that Mom? The first images I remember, in my minds eye, are of a boat anchored at the edge of a harbor in dark choppy seas, cold walls of sea water crashing into and over me on the deck, storm clouds raging over head, and a very young me being encouraged to climb the mast and command the seas to calm and then lay on the deck and break the clouds one at a time till there was nothing but blue skies as far as I could see. This little single-masted dinghy grew over the years, replaced plank by plank, as you taught me to master the pain of my migraines through visual meditation. Now, moored at the edge of that same harbor on the western edge of Scotland is a huge three-masted ship complete with galley, three bedrooms, a head with shower, and most importantly, a crows nest with a hammock to relax in once I have calmed the seas and sky of my world. That was my only escape hatch for years, until I found the "Blue Dragon," a '99 Moto Guzzi Bassa which gave me a physical freedom all my own. Together, the two Dragons have taken me all around this great country of ours and even to Canada on a whirl-wind ride that has spanned almost eighty thousand miles in eight years.
I am living firmly in the here and now...truly absorbing as much of what is around me as possible. Still my mind wanders, both as I write my first novel that takes me around the world and back and as I sit in quiet meditation and allow myself to fall away and my soul to emerge from its glimmering leather and scaly shell, deep within my sub-conscience.
After all these years of settling the seas and calming the winds around my ship, I have come to realize that for all the hard work I have put into creating this beautiful vessel, it is far too complex to sail enjoyably. So, I have begun rebuilding my ship into a live aboard, ocean worthy sailboat that can be manned single-handed but has room for a partner and a little more. Remembering how to sail in my mind is effortless, even on the large ship as a respite from the real world. I want to know (remember that is) that, not only can I sail the pleasure cruiser I've name "Phoenix" in my mind but that I can sail away on her, in this world as well.
See, I inherited this thirst for knowledge and adventure from someone, I won't name names "Mom", and the idea of learning to sail and know about boats and how big it needs to be to safely transport us and Dragon are simply an extension of that thirst.
Until I find a suitable manifestation of Phoenix within our price range, I will build her in my mind's eye, and take reminder courses from the ASA, to master the art of sailing her safely into the next big adventure.
I hear you MOM! I'm not buying a boat, I am manifesting it, one plank at a time, just like you taught me. And don't worry, it will be big enough for you to sail with us on occasion, if you're not too busy writing another book. Congratulations on your latest book, 'Martin Vane Says Hello'.
Sat Nam!
~Topher
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