Why and What For?

My summer reading has been mostly comprised of biographies; biographies of sea-faring folk.  Some more in depth posts about these people are coming, but there's an image from one I'd like to use today.


The ocean, and any large body of water for that matter, can blow up a storm out of nowhere.  There's no questioning why it came up all of a sudden.  There's no time to wonder where it came from.  But once it arrives, it arrives.  And with it a call to step up and just do what needs to be done. 


I imagine most of our open water storm survival skills are nil, but in principle, we're all given opportunities (whether we'd like them or not) to step up and just do what needs to be done.  It seems that the recipe for success in these unannounced storms is made up of cool-headedness, an ability to assess the essentials of the situation and address them in a hierarchical order of importance, ready to re-assess and adapt the plan of action as needed.


Close the hatch.  Discover the wind direction.  Lower the sail.  Oh wait, a wave just crashed over the bow, adjust the other sail, etc.


In any crisis situation, the first, more emtional reaction seems to be: Why?  Why me?  Why now?  What's happening and what did I do to bring this on?  That feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming and we just want to gauge what's going on.


But just like the ship's captain, we're not entitled to having that answered; in most cases, it's not even our place to ask.  What matters most - as a matter of life and death, literally and figuratively - is to have the ability to step back, assess the situation and make a plan of action with those few, most essential tasks at hand.


We seem moderately equipped to captain in someone else's storm.  But when it comes to our own...we find ourselves getting ready to jump ship without even thinking about it.  Even though still on a floating vessel, capable of weathering the storm, we lose confidence in our ability to stay the helm.


In the book I'm reading right now, a storm comes up on New Year's Eve.  The three men sailing the vessel take the steps to do what they can, stay flexible and resourceful as each gust of wind brings new challenges - disabled motor, torn sail, etc.  It's amazing, but in the midst of all the action, they find humor in their predicament and actual start to see the storm as an adventure.  They succomb to what is beyond their control and actually begin joking and having a good time fighting the swells and avoiding to crash into the rocky shore.

Instead of wasting their time asking all the whys, they quickly move into finding a purpose in the struggle.  What at first made them fear for their lives became a game of sorts testing their skill and mental reserves.

Despite the many storms that can brew up, and oftentimes blow over just as fast, we have at our fingertips all the resources needed to successfully navigate.  The key element in the scenario mentioned was teamwork.  Each of the three men knew the other was depending on him; no one allowed themselves a moment to slack aware of their vital interconnectness.

Today's "bridge-board": Who are my most dependable crew members when a storm blows in my life?  Am I quick to call them on deck?  Or do I try to weather the waves on my own?  What type of a first mate am I when my friends find themselves in a squall?