Does the world get any better aboard?

[rtbates]

I'd be tempted to just run away too, except for one small problem. I have a 5yo grandson who's life I'm concerned about. So I'll be sticking around and doing my part to make this a better place for him. Oh, I'll get in my sailing/cruising fixes, but only part time. He's much more important to me than any hassle I may have to put up with in dealing with todays society.

[ssullivan]

Unbusted:

In all seriousness, that is just Boston for you. I run the risk of huge flame wars here, but I'm from NH and lived in the Back Bay of Boston for a couple years. I have also live in Manhattan and Ft Lauderdale FL and a few places in between.

Boston was the worst of the bunch. Why? It has all the disadvantages of a city (violence, crime, pollution, etc...) but virtually NONE of the advantages (good transportation, cabs, high end culture, fashion, etc...). It's a lousy place to live, plain and simple. It's also a "driving city", which I wasn't a big fan of.

Just today as a matter of fact, my wife and I were laughing (a bit apprehensively since we are heading back into New England for the summer) at the CNN front page article about a brawl breaking out at the opening night of the Boston Pops!!! WTF???!!?? I said, "only in Boston".

I was driving by govt center about 2 yrs ago and had a guy trying to cross against the signal in one of the crosswalks that wasn't an intersection. I was following several cars across the crosswalk and he decided to kick the sh*$ out of mine as I went by. Didn't stop, because that *does* get you stabbed in Boston. Also, I remember seeing a fight just about every night when I was a bit younger living there.

I'd say even if you move out of Boston and stay on land, you'll see a big reduction in the kind of behavior you just described.

BUT... the world does have other bad spots too. You'll get the hang of which are friendly and which aren't. (the majority ARE friendly)

Also, living on the boat is FANTASTIC for isolating yourself from idiots like the one you ran into. There are probably a few more people with screws loose living on boats, since it's great for people who can't adjust to getting along with others... but... at the same time 99% of the common population is unable to visit your home since they don't have boats.

I still have defensive weapons aboard just in case, but ironically, the more you are outside of our country, the less you would end up needing them.

Originally Posted by unbusted67

I live in an area that has a very strong art/alternative living scene mixed with a privileged college kids, mixed with inner city townies. There is always that tension in my town and that is one of the fun things about living here. I walk to and from work. There is a very bad intersection on my way to work and recently a young girl was hit and killed on a bike. This girl was a bike messenger and had some friends that made this beautiful shrine for her with flowers posters, photographs, notes, and a banner that said "We love you and miss you". On my walk home from work I saw some guy ripping down the banner, tearing off the photographs and kicking the flower pots. He was wasted drunk. I followed him some ways and confronted him and said, "Yo man do you have any clue what you just did?" at which point he pulled a knife on me and said he would stab me.

My question is this: Does life get any less ugly aboard a sailboat? Is the cruising life any less soul sucking than the one I have just described? Cause I am banking on it. And by banking on it I mean eggs in one basket, banking on it. Sailing for me is escapism plain and simple. I simply can't watch one more news story about Iraq or Darfur and continue to ignore the fact that I feel like our society is a total loss. I need out and I need it in the form of solipsism. Sometimes it seems like I'm the only person I can deal with. And sometimes that is a bit of a pain in the ass too .

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

My question is this: Does life get any less ugly aboard a sailboat? Is the cruising life any less soul sucking than the one I have just described?

No, life is still ugly. Sailboats, Airstream Trailers, MG Sports Cars, and other things make it better for me those are my drugs of choice. It is really up to you to improve it via what ever means you decided. Sailing may improve it, it may even get worse. I had my boat totaled by Katrina, I was standing in a parking lot looking at my prize boat I had worked so hard on for years in the middle of a pile of shattered boats, my thoughts were no dam hurricane is going to kick my ass, this comes with the territory, and now I am a real sailor. The boat was totaled, paid in full by the insurance company, given back to me, and now I am experiencing the same joy I had when I first restored the boat in 1994, you just never know how things will work out. Get out on the water and enjoy a boat and what it brings to you.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Obviously, the answer would depend upon the mind-set you bring to cruising.

If you spend your energy:
- worrying about which firearm with which to ward off the attacks of those blood-thirsty native & pirates, and how to secret it from the authorities
- how to fend off the boat boys advances
- how stringently the local fishing regulations will be applied to you
- how little swinging room you have to leave your anchorage neighbour
and the like ...

You may not find much “escape”. You will be bringing the ugly, soul sucking baggage with you, and projecting it upon the world around you.

If you truly believe that people & things, outside of yourself, are actually just projections of your own mind - then only your mind can shape those experiences.

Remember:
The optimist sees the glass as half full.
The pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
The realist sees the glass as simply too large.

Wow, do I really have to defend myself for feeling really bumbed about getting a knife pulled on me? You noticed I didn't mace the sh#t out of this guy or anything, I just walked away. I am absolutely not one of these people you described above, I am an optimist that just had a knife pulled on him and wants to get away from people who pull knives on him.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Remember:
The optimist sees the glass as half full.
The pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
The realist sees the glass as simply too large.

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

And the Taoist simply sees a glass...

Originally Posted by GordMay

In simply seeing the glass, is the Taoist blind to the water, or merely ignoring it, as irrelevant (or something) ?

. . . the Taoist sees the glass as irrelavant - the empty space which the glass defines is the true reality.

TaoJones

[Lancerbye]

Even though man is a social animal I don't believe we were ever meant to live together in such numbers. The ironic quote of the Australian in Crocadile I where he says that "New York must be the friendliest place in the world" when asked why he stated " why else would so many people chose to live together?" For that reason I have lived most of my life away from the large cities. The above quote about nothing is as worthwhile as messing around with boats is to me very true. I have had a number of them and I have enjoyed them all, most of the time. They are also my choice of addictions.

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Wow, Jim. That's a heartbreaker. I have no idea how it would feel to lose your home to a hurricane. I did lose my childhood home to fire, but that's not the same.

Ssullivan I think a fire is worse. I know anyone here well enough to get in an argument about anything but that could change. In the case of my boat the insurance company forced me to take it back, had I not agreed to take the boat back a rather large sum of money would have been deducted from my settlement. My first comment was I didn’t want it back; I would of taken the money and purchased another boat. I did ask that the insurance company to reinstate liability insurance on the boat, which they did.

Having gone through this I will say keep yourself well insured, I had other losses besides my boat which were well covered. I have no love for anyone who did not carry insurance on their property, my property insurance has gone up almost $400.00 a month to cover a surcharge which goes to state run insurance program to fund high risk insurance.

Never be hard on anyone who faces a disaster or tragedy. Every one of us can be faced with a storm, earthquake, stupidity, or manmade disaster at anytime.

[coot]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Wow, do I really have to defend myself for feeling really bumbed about getting a knife pulled on me?

You shouldn't have to.

I am absolutely not one of these people you described above, I am an optimist that just had a knife pulled on him and wants to get away from people who pull knives on him.

Unfortunately, the answer to this problem has nothing to do with boats. It is all about people. My personal experience is that there are bad people everywhere, even in <<insert name>>, "where the people there are just the friendliest in the world".

If you're cruising, you can at least choose to spend more time in the nicer areas. My experience is that a lot of marine businesses are run by Captain Curmudgeon, but better him than physical violence, right?

Of course, if you're working while living on your boat, it's a lot like having a house or apartment -- as long as you want to keep that job, you have to stay there. In that case, you want to find a nice neighborhood to live in, just like you would on land.

[islandflyer]

The glass is there but there is no spoon....

[unbusted67]

Oh to hell with the glass already...Unless there is beer in the glass who gives a great gosh darn?

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Jim Clark

Ssullivan I think a fire is worse. I know anyone here well enough to get in an argument about anything but that could change.

Hi Jim,

I suppose what I was getting at was that the fire destroyed my home and all my stuff, but I was only a kid in high school. I didn't have any "skin in the game", as my parents did. It was really their loss... so I have no idea what it would be like to lose something like you did.

I'm definitely scared about that with my current home (our boat).

Let's hope you don't have to get in any fights on here. They aren't fun. You'll find this community is by and large filled with the most excellent and helpful people you'd ever find on the net. This new guy Skip and I have a major disagreement, as you have seen. Don't let that noise cloud your view of a great community.

[Ex-Calif]

Forget the glass. The Ocean is full and thanks to global warming is getting fuller all the time. Ain't it wonderful to have a place to live when Boston goes underwater?

BTW - I agree that there are bad things everywhere and maybe my experience here is different but I find the boating community as a whole is full of really great people. We have world cruisers stopping in the Changi every week as well as lot's of local boaters.

Everyone is friendly and willing to lend a hand and share a story.

Having said that, you can get a knife pulled on you anywhere. Nothing material is worth fighting over and walking away is the best option if you have it.

[Celestialsailor]

Well unbusted, I know not of a man here that has never felt that way at one time or another. People can tell you to do this, do that, go here, stay there or even talk of *$!@ing glasses. I think the bottem line is..."If someone tells you the way...it's not it"!

[unbusted67]

I Think the only way to survive is to listen to beautiful music and to spend lots of time outdoors away from people.

[mudnut]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

I Think the only way to survive is to listen to beautiful music and to spend lots of time outdoors away from people.

"Clowns to the left of me,jokers to the right,here I am,stuck in the middle with you."Mudnut.