Step 5: Believe in something

Sailors tend to be a superstitious bunch in general.  Renaming a boat, having bananas aboard, leaving port on a Friday, red sky at night or in the morn - I'm confident an entire book could be written on the subject of sailors and their superstitions.  On this subject, I guess I fit right in.  Through the years I have developed a few of my own beliefs of which I'm sure many would chalk up to the "oddity" side of the spectrum.

If you ever run into me on the street, chances are I'll have my "lucky charms".  These objects have come to me during rough or challenging times, and somehow became part of my daily routine, carried on my person at all times.  Whether or not these objects actually contain any luck or power beyond their physical being is for you to debate - as a sailor myself, I swear by them.

My Chinese cookie fortunes have been with me for years now.  They have a permanent home in my wallet behind my credit card, and although they are starting to look a little worse for wear, they are still readable and their meaning still rings true for me to this day.  The first says "The greatest risk is not taking one".  One of my lifelong dreams was to own a home on the Raquette River in the northern Adirondack mountains of New York.  A home on the river was for sale that had all the qualities that would make it a great retirement property.  Unfortunately the price was out of reach.  We spoke with the owner, did a viewing with the Realtor, and tried to make the numbers work in every imaginable way but it just wasn't to be.  The following year, the house hadn't sold and the price was reduced.  Again we spoke with the owner and expressed interest, but again the numbers just didn't add up for us.  Summer passed, and so did our chance at the house we wanted so badly - or so we thought.  In the dead of winter I couldn't stop thinking of the house.  I kept wondering what might be if I just somehow took a stab at it.  One afternoon after nauseating my coworkers with "what-ifs" about this house, my lunchtime fortune had this phrase.  That week I tracked the owners down, and made the offer I could - the deal was struck.

Much like the "what-ifs" about the house, we have often second guessed our dreams of living aboard a boat in the Caribbean.  One particular day as I was contemplating the sanity of leaving a great paying job to chase sirens on the sea - I cracked a fortune cookie to read "Never fear!  The end of something marks the start of something new."  Case closed, it was a keeper - the dream and the fortune.

My poker chips have only been with me for about a year.  They reside in my left pocket - always.  I pull them out occasionally to flip between my fingers and help me think.  These are not just poker chips, but rather they are free-drink chips from The Beach Bar in Cruz Bay St. John.  In the fall we were preparing for our annual sailing charter in the Virgin Islands.  I was pushing my gym workout to new levels, dealing with extreme stress at work, and attempting to complete my ASA 104 Navigation & Piloting certification before we left.  I was stressed out, overworked, and depressed.  My wife Sharon, in an effort to pull me from my depression, ordered my favorite coffee (Spiced Butter Rum from St. John Spice), and these free drink chips from The Beach Bar.  When she gave me the package, I immediately put the chips in my pocket for some unknown reason and I would continue to carry them until our trip.  I passed my ASA 104 exam with those chips in my pocket - my left pocket.  When we finally reached St. John for our trip, I cashed the chips in for my "free" drinks.  Almost immediately I called the bartender back over, and informed him that I wanted to buy my 2 chips back.  Not 2 chips - but my two chips.  With a look of confusion, the bartender complied with my request, giving me that look that said "what is wrong with you?".  I gladly took my chips back, quickly explaining myself with - "Don't ask. It's a long story."

This necklace is a prized and precious possession, as well as a good luck charm.  It was worn daily by my dear late friend Zsolt, and after his passing it was given to me by his wife Patricia.  The fact that it was Zsolt's makes it invaluable to me, and I feel that it connects me with him even though he is no longer with us physically.  I wear it every day, you won't find me without it.  Besides the significance of being Zsolt's, the hook pendant also has meaning to those that believe.  It is believed that this hook keeps those who don it safe at sea.  Fitting, considering our aspirations.  Zsolt will be sailing with me.

Superstitious or not, sailor or not, I guess we all have to believe in something.  One of the challenges Sharon and I face is believing in ourselves, believing we can take a leap of faith and make our sailing dreams happen.  Chasing something new means leaving the safety of the harbor and venturing out into the unknown with faith that it will all work out in the end.  Overcoming that fear of the unknown, and believing in success takes more than a few "lucky charms" - but then again they don't hurt either.

And if all else fails - just take Journey's advice...