The Long Journey

      It was a dark and stormy night when I pondered my thoughts on what had happened. There we were, sailing on calm, moonlit seas with warm light ocean breezes drifting over us. We stood and watched the Sea Dog slowly die and disappear as the Pacific Ocean claimed her.
    Friday morning I rose early to gather my gear and head out to the docks for a weekend get away with my sister, Debbie and her husband, Ted. He was an avid sailor and loved to spend his weekends on the sea. The sun was just coming up on the West Coast of California. I often traveled there to visit with Debbie and Ted, and because the miles separated us, I would stay with them for two weeks at a time. January was often the rainy season here on Monterrey Bay, but this year's temperatures were above normal and the rains were light. As the morning set in, the mercury slowly started to rise and the sun's rays started to burn off the thick fog that surrounded the bay area. This trip was going to be a great weekend get away for all of us, a time for family reunion, and reminiscing thoughts and memories of our mother, who had suddenly passed away.We felt that we needed this time to release our painful thoughts of her passing and use this time to regenerate our thoughts towards a better future.
    As Deb and I stowed the gear and groceries, Ted kept a vigilant eye on the weather reports on the coast since we would be setting our sites on the Southern tip of California.It was almost time for us to set sail when Ted noticed some unusual weather patterns forming off the coast, but he assured us that they would be blown out to sea in a couple of hours.By that time our passage would be smooth sailing from then on. I was excited about this sail, since we usually went North up to the Oregon coast. My thoughts were racing as I pictured us fishing and soaking up the sun's afternoon rays during the day and sitting on deck under the moonlight, under the stars sipping on glasses of smooth,sparkling white Cabernet. We often reminisced over many sweet memories of yesterday's gone by and told of our dreams of golden tomorrows to come. "All hands on deck!" Ted yelled, as we readied our vessel to set sail. We were off, on our way to blue water and calm seas ahead. We would pass the island that once held prisoners years ago, and look up to the mighty Golden Gate Bridge with its beauty and strength and ponder our thoughts as to how it was built to withstand such bad weather conditions and earth quakes.
    I let my eyes follow the great oceans horizon and felt the energy for the currents under our vessel trying to pull us back. Many people have died trying to escape the Alcatraz and as far as I know, none have actually lived to tell about it. We went there to visit the prison not long ago and I found it rather unsettling. It had its secrets of what happened there and somehow the ghosts of years past seemed to drift around me when I walked through the halls of the old stone structure. Now the gulls and other wild life have made this place their home throughout the year. I often wonder if they feel the presence of the past as they nest and fly around there. Only the dead tell their stories of what had happened there many years ago, and some say, "If you listen closely, you can still hear them calling from  their cells as they prepared to die." Many of the locals in the area of San Francisco say spirits still dwell there. And perhaps they are right because the prisoners souls were still there.
    The sun was up high in the sky now and it was warming to a comfortable 70 degrees and the ocean air was filled with the smell of  Pacific ocean salt. The water was a cool blue green and calm as we neared the light house and headed due South. Porpoises rose and sprang in and out of the water in large groups as they seemed to follow us. An array of sea birds appeared to float on the sea breezes as they swooped down for morsels of food floating on the oceans currents. Great Whites were the terrors of this sea of luster. They often hunt at night, but will eat anything that aroused their appetite while they search for food. Seals and Walruses were abundant in these waters and often took up housing on the docks throughout the year. They were at the top of the sharks food chain and often mistook surfers for food. Many surfing accidents take place here on the coast of California due to a chance of mistaken identity. But we were not going to be part of their dinner menu, because we were not going in the water. As the day went on, it was smooth sailing. We dined on deck and enjoyed the calm sea with its soft warm ocean breezes, as we listened to soft music and sipped on cool white wine. We made sure  that our wine and brandy were stocked so we could savor the taste later on this evening when the sun set.
    The family was in the orchard business and made money on the sales of many different Cabarets and other sparkling nectar's. The wine tasting parties and other such gatherings were plentiful in this business in order to bring in new buyers and collectors. It is a lucrative business if you are into that type of work, but for me? I chose health care instead, and live back East in the hot, humid coast of North Carolina. I enjoy California because the humidity is next to nothing and the winters are much warmer, even though there is more rain and fog. As the evening was coming in, we cleaned up the kitchen area and stowed the dishes, pots and pans. Ted was a marvelous cook and often entertained on weekends when he was not flying his small Piper up and down the coast. He was a man of wonder, who had many interests, but sailing was on the top of his lists of adventures along with flying.
      The sun was setting now with its soft colors of yellows and reds, and the moon was sneaking up on the horizon. Sailors often have a saying about the sky and it is, "Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors head warning." This kind of made since to me in the way it was stated. Soon it would be dark and the stars would come out to light our way. The only sound around us is our soft music and the ocean gently hugging the vessel. Every now and then a fog horn would sound in the distance and sometimes we could see the lights of sailing ships off in the distance. The sea air was starting to cool and we gathered up some blankets to put around us as we sipped our dry wines and got ready to turn in for the night. Ted went to check the weather reports and told us we would be sailing on calm seas tonight with light winds out of the Southwest and we would have clear skies tonight. I looked up at the night sky and sent a kiss and prayer off into the gentle ocean breeze to wish our mother a good night. It was midnight and we headed down stairs to settle in and get a good nights sleep and be ready to greet the new day and all of its wonders. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt an uneasiness inside me, like a bad feeling engulfing my being, but without a second thought, I tossed it off and went to sleep.
        Some time later, I was quickly awakened by the cold water. It was swirling around me and everything was pitch black. I yelled for Ted and Debbie. Some how we found each other and tried to get to the life jackets and grab what we could and get out. The water was cold and the winds were blowing and tossing us about. Ted found the life raft and untied the dingy as we jumped overboard into the blackness of the ocean. He sent off one more S.O.S. and jumped into the darkness. "Ted!!" we yelled, "where are you!!! "Over here!!",  he yelled back. We managed to pull him into the raft, shivering from the cool night sea as we covered our selves with blankets. We held on to each other and sat in the center of the raft so we would not be tossed out into the blackness of the sea. We had no idea of where we were being tossed around, it was very dark and the rain was pouring down very hard. We wondered where this storm had come from since the weather report stated calm seas. Every now and then, a freak storm will blow up in these waters and leave as quickly as they come, but this one came with all its fury and feels like it is not leaving anytime soon.
    We laid down in the raft and hung onto each other and prayed for our safety as the sea had her way with us. The dingy was still with us as it was tied to the raft and it was being tossed like a rag doll. Our survival gear and food was in it, and we needed to make sure it was not lost at sea. It seemed like hours of torture, with biting winds and rain, the waves crashing over us as we choked on the salt water. We clung to each other and shivered from the cold and fear as the relentless fury of the sea would not let us go. We thought about our family and others who loved us. And friends we would never see again if we perished in this watery grave. But then we quickly dismissed those thoughts and put our minds in survival mode. As the night storm raged around us, we hung on to dear life and asked God to protect us. We were so exhausted, I think we all blacked out from fear and the cold.
    I opened my eyes as the sun came up, my first thoughts were of what had happened. The last thing I remembered was being thrown around the raging ocean in a wild storm. All I could see in the distance was the Sea Dog's remains and it was sinking  on the coral reefs and as we stood on the sandy beach, we watched in horror as she sank into the sea. We sat on the beach for a while then quickly gathered wood and other things that would burn and we lit a large signal fire. We also gathered huge tree limbs and made an S.O.S. sign on the sand in case a search plane was looking for us.We had enough food, water and other drinkable substance to last us for two weeks. We had a radio and other survival gear so we headed off the beach to set up a small camp until we were rescued. We hoped that it would be soon as we got dry clothes on and hung the rest up to dry.
    We had no idea where we were, but Ted was looking at the map and figuring out where we might be. He said we were tossed around for about four hours and according to his map, we drifted due South and were on an uninhabited island South West of Mexico near the Gulf. Debbie pulled out a large mirror to flash at a plane if one flew near us. Hopefully, someone would spot our flaming burn pile. As we walked around, we gathered driftwood and fruit along with small branches and large leaves for a shelter. After we managed to build our shelter, we walked into the tree line to see what else we could find and hoped that there would be a good spot to build another signal fire on higher ground. After a long while, I pondered my thoughts back to myself and what I thought were my most troubled days back East. Nothing could compare to the situation we were in now. My troubles seemed so small and far away now and my future was not clear. Many questions entered my mind as I walked up and down the paths here. Something, or someone had made them. Maybe there used to be people here, or maybe people visit this place from time to time as a get away. This would certainly be a good place for solitude.
    The afternoon was upon us and we ate our meal and sipped on some wine that Ted kept cold in a pool of water he had found on his treasure hunt. He was a master at survival and had everything we needed to purify the sea water and make it drinkable for us. Along with the survival gear, we had a net to fish with and other non perishable foods. We wondered back down to the beach to see if there were any remains of the Sea Dog. All we could see was water and Ted thought that when the tide went out, she would be visible to us. He had a plan to board her to get more items for us to us while we were stranded here. The island was a place of adventure and exploring, so we headed off to see what we could find that would be of good use to us. There was plenty of vegetation on the island, and a pool of spring water not far from our camp. There was a stream a few yards away and we got in to rinse the sea salt off our skin before it baked us in the sun. We decided to turn in early and get some rest so we could take turns watching the beach in case rescue was near.
    In the days to come, we would know what life was about, and how our thoughts would change the way we felt about our so-called troubles. Nature has a way of bringing us out of our own thoughts and see what life is truly all about. It is about the way we make decisions, and the roads or paths we choose. The consequences of our actions that take place every time we make a decision. It makes us wonder about the things we said to someone, and wished we had not. We talked about our passed and wondered about our future, what would we say to someone we hurt, or loved. We wondered what we could have done differently, and why we lived the way we were. I often asked myself why I am doing the job that I do. What led me here to where I am now in my life. Pondering  questions and thoughts. would this event change the way I feel about life, and things I take for granted? I think it will, but to what extent? That, I do not know. Maybe one day, it will come to me and I will know the answer, but for now, maybe it is not meant for me to know at this time. Maybe this is a plan, or time in my life, a time for me to think about. As I search my inner self, I will not take situations, or decisions for granted anymore. I will seek out to discover alternative answers to situations that may occur.
    This is definitely a time of trial and decisions, thoughts and reality of what is and what could be. Yesterday's gone by, never to return, gone forever and today's that are here in the present to live and decide a future and tomorrow's that I hope to see and be in for the better to plan and discover. And when the sun sets and rises again what will that new day bring? And to know that it is not for me to figure out, but to live each day as it comes and make the best of every situation. So for now, I learn from the mistakes of yesterday, grasp today for all it offers, and think about the hopes and dreams of tomorrow's that will come with all they offer...... Think about a situation you may be in, how would you plan your outcome? What decisions would you make and what path will you choose to have a better outcome on your journey through life.  Thank you for your time in reading this short journey through troubled waters.