DON'T GET DISCONNECTED
After living outside the United States for twenty-eight years, I am finally connected. At least that's what everybody tells me. You see, I completed my circumnavigation around the world on my sailboat, I'm back in the USA, and I now have a cell phone.
Don't feel sorry for me because I wasn't connected for all those years. I was connected to other things, and I didn't need a cell tower to feel my life was good.
What exactly did I get when I got connected? I
got an overpriced handheld fit-in-the-palm-sized plastic gadget that I have to carry around with me wherever I go, and whenever it makes noise, I have to pay money.
It's like a slot machine, a no-armed bandit, and every time the cell phone rings, I lose, and the cell provider wins.
What did I learn when I got connected?
First, I found out that getting connected costs lots of money and staying connected costs even more.
I also learned that in my new world, I can only be connected for 500 minutes each month without having to pay another mountain of money.
It turns out that I am connected to a bottomless money pit that would like nothing better than to suck my finances dry.
Being connected does have it's benefits - I do get to talk to my family whenever I want until I run out of minutes or money.
When you're connected, you enter into a time warp in which time is split into two dimensions.
The first dimension is called "ANYTIME MINUTES", and I am only allowed to visit this dimension for five-hundred minutes a month.
Apparently this dimension is very crowded, and they won't let me stay longer unless I pay more money.
The second dimension is called "NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS." I can do whatever I want for as long as I want in this dimension, and it doesn't cost anything extra.
In my new life, special messages appear on my phone from outer space. They are called text messages, and every time a message appears, money comes out of my wallet. I have decided that I don't like text messages. I hope people living in the two dimensions don't send me text messages. I'd rather talk to them while I'm living in the "NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS" dimension.
I don't want to complain about my new life, but I confess I liked my old one better.
I got along fine without a cell phone, and I was connected to other things that talked to me and sent messages without sending a monthly bill.
Take a look at Exit Only sailing downwind into the setting sun with headsails unfurled.
The sails are connected to the wind, and Exit Only is connected to the sea as we slide over the waves heading westward around the world.
I am totally immersed in blue skies and crystal clear water, and I am connected to everything that makes my spirit soar.
I don't need a cell tower to hear the messages that surround me on all sides. I listen to the sound of the sails and sea, and I know life is good.
I hope I don't get disconnected from my old world; that would be selling my birthright for a bowl of porridge.
I am going to have to come to a new agreement with life.
ady miss being connected to the trade winds, the sea, the stars, porpoises, and pilot whales that I communed with for the past eleven years.
During those years I didn't have to split my time into anytime minutes, nights, and weekends. I was connected to everything I loved all the time.
My old world had plain vanilla minutes that worked just fine, they didn't cost anything, and I didn't have to sign a one or two year contract to make it all happen.
I'm sure I will survive the transition into being connected. After all, I've survived the deep deserts of the Arabian Empty Quarter and Australian outback, and I've survived sailing on the seven seas.
Right now, getting connected is a bit like sailing to windward in forty knots of wind. It's time to reef my sails, sheet them in, and hang on, because it's going to be a wild ride.
Life is good.
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Join Team Maxingout as they sail through Pirate Alley and up the Red Sea
See what it's like to cruise on a catamaran before you spend a bazillion dollars purchasing one
After watching the Red Sea Chronicles you will be able to see yourself sailing on the ocean of your dreams
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
