We Are All Weird

A few days ago, someone said to me ‘It must be weird to sail with all of those strangers every week.’  On the boat we often get the question, ‘What do you do if someone’s a real jerk?’  (they usually use a different word, but I’ve gone family-style here).  Here’s the thing – we are all odd in our own way.  Even your best friend was a stranger when you first met them and if we are doing our job correctly people are so happy that they don’t have time to think about reverting to jerk status (if they have one).   Also, sailing on the Riggin, with its rustic cross between camping on the water and staying at a bed and breakfast, is a self-selecting trip which is not everyone’s cup of tea.   We know this and it’s okay with us.  It’s a perfect crossroads that creates week after week of like-minded folks coming to us wanting to relax and have an adventure all at the same time.

Everyone is quirky in their own way, some more obviously than others of course, but we all have things that make us happy and aren’t we lucky that we aren’t all the same.  For example, I’m perfectly happy to let someone else worry about their nails – the color, the length, the funky designs of swirly seashells and gems – I couldn’t care less, AND what does it matter to me if crazy nails are fun to someone else?  No skin off my nose when they look at my short, unadorned, somewhat battered, working-in-the-kitchen nails and think, “Lord help me, girl!”

This summer I overheard one of the best partings ever from two couples who didn’t know each other before spending a week sailing, eating, hauling, sunning, napping, singing, etc. together.  They’d been strangers before and were parting unlikely friends, especially so in this climate of political opinions which each of us holds so dear.  As the man of one couple was shaking the other man’s hand he said with true astonishment and delight in his Southern drawl, “You know, you’re alriiight for a bunch o’ liberals.”  Best thing I could have heard all summer.

No matter who comes to us, no matter what they believe or what they look like or what they wear, they all are adorned by the same skin which encases a heart and a brain.  That’s what I care about.  It’s our job to meet them where they are with all of the literal and invisible, but heavy never-the-less, baggage that they carry on their back and to maybe help them set it down for a while.  Even if only for four days.

A Toast to Our Individualness!
Annie

Not saying that any of you are weird, just love this photo and you all!