The Voyage

At first, I was not even aware of the boat.  It was just there, like the air, my breathing and other faces.  It just was.  As I got a little older, of course, I became more aware of my surroundings.  I was learning, growing and interacting with others.

At some point I was shown where the life preservers were.  We had drills and had to try them on.  You know, just in case…

The older I became, the more I was exposed to the elements and the hazards of the journey and the more important the life rings seemed to be.

In my teenage years you couldn’t tell me anything.  I ran up and down the deck, I played with things that were foreign to me, I had no care in the world, I was just going to sail on forever.

As I grew older, I ran less, I played less and enjoyed different things than when in my youth. I was becoming more and more aware of the ship.  It was creaking more now than it did.  The rails were showing wear and it’s sails no longer had that crisp snap whenever the wind changed direction.

The other faces I knew seemed to take on a seriousness I had not noticed before.  Sailing into the wind became a chore.  Skipping off to distant islands no longer had the appeal it once had.  I was content to sit on deck in the warm sun.

Suddenly, new faces were coming into the picture.  Faces with titles, like doctor, and surgeon.  Faces even more serious than before.

The ship is taking on water, they said.  I was not familiar with many of the words they were using.  “You shouldn’t sit out in the sun anymore, and those life rings won’t work for someone your age.  They are for children.”

I was suddenly aware that I was not going to just sail on forever.  I would be going off to join those faces I no longer saw around the ship.  I found myself paying closer attention to things I could grab onto, things that would float.

Even the conversations I was having with the other faces on deck had taken on an eerie feeling.  I was heading into a fog bank, no idea what lay ahead. What used to be the gentle rocking motion of the boat, now had me reaching for the rails, just to study myself.

I wasn't sure I liked where this was headed.