Quote:
Originally Posted by hsi88
I didn't really want to reply to this as its not really boat related, but I find people misunderstand the true meaning of freedom. It doesn't mean free from rules, regulations and laws. And it never meant free to do whatever you want to do. Besides, having an HOA (home owner's association) is not all about rules. Just like the government, the HOA also provides services that make life a little better, and at a lower cost than you could provide on your own. Like trash pickup and snow removal and road repairs. Sure they have some rules and some of the elected members get power hungry. But in neighborhoods where homes cost $500K and much more, they protect the other homeowners from the slobs that have no pride in their yards and from people who paint their houses all the colors of the rainbow. I for one appreciate the things organization can provide. I worked hard to get here and don't mind paying a little extra for good roads and excellent schools. Just a difference of opinion. Nothing more. Happily, most of us can live almost anywhere we want. Want a mini-cabin off the grid in the middle of the woods? There are plenty of places you can do that. Want to live on your boat? There are lots of ways to go about doing that as well. Be happy we live in a world where you can control how and where you want to live. Don't like HOA's, don't move into those neighborhoods. Its your choice and you are free to live elsewhere. |
freedom. everyone loves to define that word differently. now, it seems to always mean free to do as you like as long as it doesn't bother or offend me. and every group has their own idea as to what that means. too big a discussion to even get into.
the irony is that this huge side discussion all started because i had the audacity to compare home
ownership with being a
live aboard as choices a person might make... as an example that all choices have a
price.
i find that your post is a perfect example of that very fact, so it's not really off subject. in fact, it's rather timely. life is a
trade off. there is always a
price. if you want to live freely, you have to be more self sufficient. if you want convenient services and neighbors whose houses don't offend you, you have to lose some liberty (along with your HOA fees).
personally, i think that, if you are that concerned with the color your neighbor paints his house, you either live too close or you lead a boring life. my mother is always wondering after what the neighbors are doing. i could care a less. it's their life and their property. as long as it doesn't physically spill over onto mine it's none of my business. i have my own life to live and too much going on to worry about their porch lights being on all night or why there is a different car in their driveway.
anyhow, these are choices we all have to make. they all have a cost. as i was suggesting to the OP. choosing to
live aboard a sailboat is not really anymore costly that any other choice. cheaper than many. but, you have to remember that the price you pay for a thing is not always
money.
for instance, if you choose to chain yourself to a mortgage and a 'traditional' life on land, part of the price you pay will be missing out on the adventure and experiences you might have had if you had chosen differently.
on the other hand, if you choose a life aboard a sailboat (and choose to do so at a reasonable cost), you will probably miss out on a lot of the conveniences that a lot of people are fairly addicted to. you will also miss out on knowing exactly where you'll be day in and day out. there will be a lot more uncertainty...especially if you go off voyaging. (for me, that's the ultimate goal) you'll miss a lot of TV.
you also might miss out on the social activities you might have had in whatever town you might have chosen to live in. of course, there are social interactions to be had wherever there are people.
it's all a bunch of
trade offs. you can't really have it all. life is too short.
you also owe it to yourself to decide what you think is important and not let your choices be driven by the hopes and fears of others. they are not you. the choices they make might make them happy. they also might not, in the end. most people are filled with regrets. the thing you have to ask yourself is, will the choices they make for their lives be the right ones for yours?
really, no matter what opinions you hear, you are the only one who can make that decision for yourself.
me? i woke up one day, after decades of struggling to follow a path, to realize i was chasing the dreams and goals that other people said i should chase; not the ones in my own heart. so, i am now working towards achieving my own dreams and my own path. for me, that means life aboard a sailboat and
wind in my
sails as often as possible. it means exploration and
experience. i really don't give a hoot if my neighbors are all happy at how nicely my
grass is trimmed. i don't have time to waste on such a trivial thing as constantly tending and harvesting a plant i can't eat or make into anything useful.
i'm going to die. and, when i die, the world will not care how my lawn looked or if my neighbors minded that i put a basketball hoop in my driveway for my
kids to play with. none of that will be in the
history books. future generations will not hold my name in awe if i religiously wore my helmet on my motorcycle (which i decidedly do not). what i did with my life will actually matter to a chosen few. but, it will matter most to me because, i am the one that will be looking back on that life when i leave it. there won't be time to do it differently when that day arrives.
something to think about.
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