They inspired me...

At one point in time, I considered writing a non-fiction book about people who lived their life on the fringe. I have always admired those who step away from the traditional constraints imposed by society to live a life they dream of. And, believe it or not, it was when I began working with the elderly that I met so many of these individuals.

There was the couple who traveled around in their motor home, earning a living by selling t-shirts at festivals and fairs. They were seeing all of the United States that way. They had enough. They were happy. And when they were in town, they would come and have us take care of the wife's hearing.

And I tried to imagine a scenario in which I would drive around the country and sell things. It wasn't my dream. There's much of the US that I have no desire to ever see. I don't like the browns of the mid-west. I love green. And I hated the idea of having to carry around and stock items. Nope not for me. Still, I admired them for their lifestyle. And I longed to be as carefree and happy as they were.

Oh, but my very favorite couple was the one that had spent fifteen years sailing the Caribbean. They offered charter services between the islands. They had been all over, seen everything. And when they were older and the kids were grown, they had decided to live on land once more. They settled down. They had health issues. Oh, but they didn't return empty handed. They brought with them a macaw. And I could only imagine the crusty husband wearing that bird on his shoulder as he sailed around.

They truly inspired me. I have always loved the water. That's where I'm happiest. The beach has always fed my soul. And that was a lifestyle I could embrace.

We won't be embracing it on this boat. It's far too small to have a bunch of overnight guests. Day sailing is completely possible. At night, we max out at four.

Four is a nice number. Us and the kids. Us and another couple. Or...much of the time, just us.

I loved the idea of living on the fringe, living a life that is less ordinary. And now we're going to do it. There's much work to accomplish before we get there, but the plan is formulating, taking shape. The business is taking hold. We'll be taking off.

We have nothing but time. Oh, but I'm eager to get going. Time to sail...