When the World Goes Crazy
18 January 2019 | Banderas Bay, Mexico
Terri Potts-Chattaway
Politics. The wall. Government shutdown. The Russia investigation. Hurricanes. Volcanoes. Fires. Mudslides. Syria. Gun violence. The Me-Too movement. Murders and kidnapping. Climate change. Brexit. A little child, no more than three years old runs along the highway. She is barefoot and crying. She is lost and alone and it is freezing outside. It seems the world has gone crazy.
But then…
A bus driver sees her. She stops. She runs across the street and picks her up in her arms. One of the passengers gives up her coat and wraps it around the child. The little girl is found sleeping in the bus driver’s arms when the authorities arrive. Kindness and human decency prevail.
In this day and age when we are flooded with minute by minute news via the airwaves and social media, it can all be too much. One must find a way to break free and find some peace to keep from being pulled into the vortex of negativity. One way Jay and I find our peace is through sailing.
It was Saturday, the twelfth of January and after only two weeks of being here in Mexico, we were ready to take Cadenza out for her first sail in eight months. As usual, we had to put the boat back together. Everything was stashed inside. Boat cushions, sails, our extra ladder, the wagon. All that had to come out again. We put everything back in its place, attached the Genoa and took down the canvas covers. Jay reconnected the electronics and tested the anchor windlass. Everything inside, absolutely everything inside had to be washed. Sheets, towels, any clothing that we had. All the dishes. Cabinets had to be emptied and cleaned. Suffice it to say, it is a lot of work to put her back together but finally, we were ready and anxious to get back on the water.
Banderas Bay is a great place for day sailing. The sea is generally calm and flat. The wind almost always picks up in the afternoon. And, there are whales. The bay is surrounded by mountains, lush terrain and white, sandy beaches. In January, the mornings and evenings are filled with soft, cool breezes and in the afternoon the sun heats up and warms the skin.
Our first sail went well. Everything worked. Hah! Everything worked! How rare is that? However, the wind was lazy that day but we didn’t care. We ghosted along on six knots and felt the gentle waves lull us into a serene relaxation. All was quiet. Peaceful. That is what we do when the world goes crazy.