Dip and soar in the breeze

Noodling around the web this morning I found this quote that sums up what I was really trying to say in my "Culture of Life" post yesterday. And much more eloquently than I could have expressed it.

"For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze." - Richard Bode, First you have to row a little boat.

All right. Enough talk of death.

It's struck me as somewhat ironic that I've been trying to write a blog about sailing for 3 months and I haven't done any real sailing in that time at all. By "real sailing" I mean racing my Laser. Winter can be a frustrating time for me. But all that's going to change. At the end of this week I head off on a two week road trip.

First I'm going to Rick White's Sailing Seminar in the Florida Keys. It's billed as "five days of intensive training, fun and torture". Sounds like just what I need.

Then on the way back I'm going to sail in the Laser US Nationals at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. I've never done a US Nationals before so I expect it to be a humbling experience. But Wrightsville Beach is one of the few dinghy racing locations on the east coast that actually races on the ocean - as opposed to a sheltered bay or sound. So there should be a chance to sail in BIG WAVES - something I rarely have the opportunity to experience. I'm looking at the Nationals as another opportunity to practice and learn.

The last few days I've been checking out my boat and trailer, doing a few minor repairs, making sure everything is in good shape for the coming "fun and torture". Then next week once again I will be out there on the water a-dippin' and a-soarin'.