A Simple Life on the Water

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau published his famous memoir, Walden Pond.  The theme centers on simple, self-sufficient living in the midst of nature. For over two years, Thoreau lived by himself in a cabin he'd built by Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life," says Thoreau, "to live so sturdily and Spartan like as to put to route all that was not life..."

 I can relate. As I sit on our 36-foot Islander here on D-Dock at Marina May, I can't help but think about those words written two centuries ago. Deep down, I want to cut away everything that weighs me down and simplify my life, too. Here on the boat, that's not hard to do. After all, there is less than 200 square feet of living space. Just the necessities: inside the cabin is a bed, a table, two little couches, a tiny bathroom, stove, kitchen sink, storage for pots and pans, a space heater and an ice box. There are only a couple of extravagances, which include a radio and an 18-inch television that gets a couple of channels. For decor, there are a smattering of books and magazines, a Bible, and two photographs hanging on the wall (one of the family and one of just Don and I). 

Today, I'm just hanging out, relaxing all snuggled under the fleece knotted blanket I made Don for Christmas. The blue and orange sailboats are so colorful in the midst of all the wood in the boat. I'm reading a book called Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper. It's about a highly intelligent young girl with cerebral palsy who has been trapped inside her own body and head - unable to speak. Eventually, she gets a special computer (like the one Steven Hawking has) and she is finally able to communicate all her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. A lifetime of words come pouring out.

Lately, I've been feeling pretty out of my mind, too. It doesn't seem like talking is helping much either. Neither is praying. Not that God's not a good listener, because He is. I'm sure my toxic attitude is the problem. It sucks. I just feel like my mind is too overcrowded! Like Thoreau, I desperately need to simplify my life. I just wish I could dump everything that is weighing me down. Well, I can't really dump my job because we kind of need the money. I can, however, dump my 64-year-old house. There are just too many endless projects, and too much upkeep. Yard work, weeds, pool maintenance, plumbing issues, patio flooding in the winter, and don't even get me started on the declining neighborhood. 

My prayer is that by next spring, we can sell the house and buy a small condo instead. Perhaps when we pack and sort through all our stuff, we can dump half the crap we don't need. One can only hope. Meanwhile, it's boat living for me on the weekends while Don works. Blue skies, sea gulls, cool breezes, and no housework or weeds to pull. None. Zip. Zero. 

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