Hey Jackdaw, guess what I finally got to do.

[Will Gilmore]

I knew a guy who turned 100 als was still playing golf every week. He said he'd been playing his entire life and still went out to practice perfection. Golf, he'd say, was a game you practice for perfection your whole life and will never achieve.
I'm more of a mini-golfer.
Otherwise...

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jackdaw]

Let's not confuse perfection with mastery.

I'm a pragmatist. 侘寂.

 

[TomY]

Jackdaw, I always knew you were a philosopher.
You are so right. Given a multitude of desires and only the awareness of linear temporal experiences, we must choose which wants get immediately satisfied and which get deferred or discarded.
Personal relationships always take precedence. Experiences are preferred over acquisition, maintenance and obligations are often a must because the loss suffered if not met is undesirable.
Knowing and consciously making these choices serves little to relieve us of our sense of longing for the unfulfilled.

-Will (Dragonfly)

I'll give you a little more credit, Will. Having raised a family, you know you don't always do what YOU want.
I think one key to happiness is to be happy while doing what someone else wants to do.

 

[JRT]

@TomY I agree! I could live my life the way I want, but it sure would be lonely.

Congrates @Will Gilmore looks like fun time!

 

[Jackdaw]

I'll give you a little more credit, Will. Having raised a family, you know you don't always do what YOU want.

Does this imply that you didn't want to raise your family.. or am I reading this wrong? ;^)

 

[Jackdaw]

@TomY I agree! I could live my life the way I want, but it sure would be lonely.

You're kind of making my point. You didn't want to be lonely, so you didn't live that that. It's actually NOT how you wanted to live.

 

[agprice22]

Congratulations on getting out there, Will! How nice that your family got involved too. You will be hooked on this boat! I always tell couples to invest in each other by engaging in each other’s interests. It teaches them to be generous to each other.
Congratulations!

 

[jssailem]

A discovery that has become apparent over the years is that people try to hide their character in new meetings. Golf is one of those experiences that I find exposes the character of the player and for that reason is a good game to play with say a suitor of your daughter. It is played for more than an hour which allows you to see how a player deals with frustration. It looks simple yet it is complex. The players though competing are really playing against the game. There is a kind of camaraderie associated with golf that does not exist in tennis.

 

[Will Gilmore]

You're kind of making my point. You didn't want to be lonely, so you didn't live that that. It's actually NOT how you wanted to live.

Tom's point and your point, jackdaw, are not exclusive of each other. However, you are taking a binary approach where Tom points out that a sacrifice by degrees may be required to get the most, but not everything, out of life.
A person can choose chocolate over vanilla, be perfectly content that they enjoyed their favorite icecream yet still, long for a small experience of another flavor they enjoy.
I would make my choices over and over again, without reservations, That doesn't mean I wouldn't miss sailing or whatever else I had to give up.

What a great discussion! Really, it's like it's my birthday or something.


-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jim26m]

Will,
You just described my life.

Happy "beerthday"!

 

[Will Gilmore]

Just made another undesirable choice this morning. I cancelled my spot at the Mariner Rendezvous. I am not going to have the time to get Dragonfly ready. It was a choice between installing a new queen and hive, building more stock for our farmer's markets, working on art commissions, repair and maintenance of the damages done by my bruin nemesis, weeding and harvesting our gardens or getting my boat ready. Unfortunately, I would be willing to sacrifice all that to sail except, I chose to keep my personal relationships intact and those things are required to do that.

Sacrifice is the way to the divine.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[agprice22]

Your sailing days will come. Sounds like you made a good choice to relieve some of the other stresses. Pushing yourself to do everything may prevented your peace of mind and enjoyment.

 

[Jim26m]

Will,
You are obviously a talented, and well-liked, individual - a constant blessing, and occasional curse. I try to do a little boat stuff when I'm overwhelmed. It might just be ordering a part, or researching an idea. If you get the materials/supplies on hand, and have your plan ready, you can do a little something when you have a spare moment. Then, eventually, the boat will be ready to go when you need it.

In any event, at least you're not bored and lonely!
Jim

 

[Will Gilmore]

and occasional curse.

That's how I know I'm doing it right.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jackdaw]

Just made another undesirable choice this morning. I cancelled my spot at the Mariner Rendezvous. I am not going to have the time to get Dragonfly ready. It was a choice between installing a new queen and hive, building more stock for our farmer's markets, working on art commissions, repair and maintenance of the damages done by my bruin nemesis, weeding and harvesting our gardens or getting my boat ready. Unfortunately, I would be willing to sacrifice all that to sail except, I chose to keep my personal relationships intact and those things are required to do that.

Sacrifice is the way to the divine.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Will,
I don’t get why you call this the undesirable choice. Those things you list sound amazing and constitute a full life. Hobbies galore. I understand this. I raised kids (now launched and in the mid 20s). I lived in Paris for 4 years when I knew accepting that assignment would effectively stop me sailing for years. So during those times I focused what was important, and made THOSE things the desirable choice. And basically left sailing aside for a few years.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I don’t get why you call this the undesirable choice. Those things you list sound amazing and constitute a full life. Hobbies galore.

They are amazing and I fully appreciate the beauty that fills my life. I called the choice undesirable because I want to work on my boat, I want my boat in the water, I want time to use my boat, I want to meet my fellow Mariner Association members. It's not that I will suffer in having what I have due to my choices, it's that I can't always have my cake and eat it too. I'd rather not be in a position where I have to give up on a very desirable option. I don't regret the choice I've made, only the loss. I'll continue to rejoice in the gains, but there is a definite loss that I can't help but feel.
As a self described pragmatist, I know you are able to accept such choices as unavoidable and move on with little regret, but unless you've either reached Nirvana or become an automaton, I don't believe for a second, you haven't suffered regret for such a choice yourself.
I agree completely with you, we choose which things are most important to us and move towards them. However, where those choices move us away from other things doesn't mean those things left behind aren't also important to us.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jim26m]

I want to know who this guy is, and what he did with the real @Jackdaw. This guy is all nice and complimentary. Where's the @Jackdaw that described a container ship running over a boat full of sight-seeing folk as a "world class t-bone". I miss that guy! I never had to wonder what he was thinking. (I know you wouldn't have done it if anyone was hurt - just jerking your halyard).

I think he's supporting you Will. Enjoy it, and back away slowly...

 

[Jackdaw]

I want to know who this guy is, and what he did with the real @Jackdaw. This guy is all nice and complimentary. Where's the @Jackdaw that described a container ship running over a boat full of sight-seeing folk as a "world class t-bone". I miss that guy! I never had to wonder what he was thinking. (I know you wouldn't have done it if anyone was hurt - just jerking your halyard).

I think he's supporting you Will. Enjoy it, and back away slowly...

Indeed I'm waxing philosophical much more than normal. Means I need to go sailing. Good thing there is a race tonight!

 

[Will Gilmore]

This guy is all nice and complimentary. Where's the @Jackdaw that described a container ship running over a boat full of sight-seeing folk as a "world class t-bone"

Indeed I'm waxing philosophical much more than normal. Means I need to go sailing. Good thing there is a race tonight!

I've noticed a trend in the last few months with you JD. You've recently began letting a softer, more playful side show. I recall a post in a thread where you actually made a joke, and it was a good one too . It's almost as if you are turning into a ... dare I say it ...
a "cruiser". I'd like to think I had some part to play in this time of personal growth, but I suspect it has more to do with that gorgeous woman you hang out with.
I'm glad you are racing and I know you will do well. No one on SBO wants to see you turn into a soft, touchy feely, care only about other people's feelings mamby pamby. Least of all me who has actually benefited from your no nonsense, straight, call it what it is, expert advice, but thanks for the support. I do truly appreciate it.

-Will (Dragonfly)