Risk

[s/v Faith]

Thinking about risk this afternoon.

Hiking, sailing, anything worth doing requires risk.

In investment, the principal is known as "risk / reward". If nothing is invested, nothing is risked and there can be no reward.

I just got back from a 6 month sail, almost 5000nm.... Lots of risks.  No regrets from it, and even if things had not always gone perfectly (they did not) it still would hAve been worth it.

There is risk in anything worth doing.... Sure there are always voices from the shore who shout bout how stupid and foolish we will be.  Yes, there is even the risk of loosing it all.

The alternative is to be safe... Maybe not even going out of site of land?  Maybe not down to the shore? Maybe staying in bed.

But, a life unlived is not a life. 

[s/v Faith]

Posting in the midst of a project... Free association style, sory if this is disconnected.

I think the biggest risk of them all is not taking the risk.  Living the safe life that the voices from the shore advocate.

[Travelnik]

The alternative is to be safe... Maybe not even going out of site of land?  Maybe not down to the shore? Maybe staying in bed.

But, a life unlived is not a life.  

I believe, statistically, more people die in bed than in sailing incidents, so staying in bed may not be all that safe!  ;)

Personally, I'd rather go peacefully in my sleep, like my uncle Frank, rather than screaming in terror like all the passengers on the plane he was flying!  ;D

Good post Craig. Grog to ya!

[Frank]

This fits well into a recent trip to open a friends cottage up. His 95yr old mom came along. She was my uechre partner...we won 5 of 7. She slowed down a bit last winter...only down hill ski'd 7 times!! A few yews ago it was closer to 30!! She told me "don't worry about all that stuff you're supposed to worry about and just keep moving"   Sage advice!!   ;)

[Captain Smollett]

Reminds me of a story from a few years ago...our own CapnK got embroiled in a debate on another forum following the death of a teen boy who was surfing in some swell kicked up by a (distant) hurricane.

Someone started the cry of "His parents should be charged with neglect for letting him be out there."  I was infuriated by that response.  Luckily Kurt took the mantle of the cause because he did it far more eloquent justice can I could have done.

I don't understand this line of thinking AT ALL.  Not one single bit.  Life is dangerous.  Period.  Yes, some decisions are more dangerous than others, and some dangers are accepted at little to no reward possible.  But we either value life, which includes the right of freedom to live it as we choose, or we don't. 

[Captain Smollett]

Sorry for double posting, but I just ran across a cool quote in an interview with world-class photographer Martin Prihoda.  The interview was about his GQ India shots (including a cover) and the specific question was about his move from Vancouver to Mumbai.

This comment caught my eye as relevant to this thread:

I suppose the most important thing for me is that I answered my ?what if? questions: what if I moved out of my comfort zone and went somewhere crazy and tested my skills, would I succeed?

If I died tomorrow I can say to myself that I did and that?s a good feeling. Of course, I?ve got a bunch of new ?what if? questions and some of them need to be answered in new places.

{emphasis added}

[marujo_sortudo]

"A warrior-hunter knows that his death is waiting, and the very act he is performing now may well be his last battle on earth. He calls it a battle because it is a struggle. Most people move from act to act without any struggle or thought. A warrior-hunter, on the contrary, assesses every act; and since he has intimate knowledge of his death, he proceeds judiciously, as if every act were his last battle. Only a fool would fail to notice advantage a warrior-hunter has over his fellow men. A warrior-hunter gives his last battle its due respect. It's only natural that his last act on earth should be the best of himself. It's pleasurable that way. It dulls the edge of his fright." -Carlos Casteneda

There are lots of ways to die.  The worst is full of regret and still breathing.  Do that thing you want to do.  Do it with preparation and wisdom.  Don't let fear hold you back, let it be your companion instead.

[NOMN]

All of this and more.

I would rather live one day, one full day, truly alive doing exactly what I wanted to do;



Than go 80 years of bullshit.

When I think about making any life endeavor or journey, in order to GIVE IT ALL WE HAVE, and thus, succeed - we most first lose our fear of death. Only then can we make the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv3k1awO2kU

[Jim_ME]

I'm starting to suspect that we only reach that perfect day after 80 years of struggle.

Dealing with bullshit is character building.  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbjZA3aAH3s
[they must be in their 80s by now?]

[rorik]

Mick Jagger 1943

Larry Pardey 1939
Lin Pardey 1944

[Frank]

Charlie Watts...1941!   ;D  WOW...72 n rockin!!

I saw them in 2006.....awesome!!

Anyhoot...on the music theme....as Neil Young sings... "better to burn out than to fade away"   ;D :o ;)

[rorik]

This morning I went to Home Depot and bought some clear cedar for shelving in the forepeak. One side is rough so I took it to a small one man shop down the street to have it milled smooth.
I mentioned that it was going into a boat.
The guy starts to show me his parts for a small sailboat he is going to build when he retires. "Well, not really retire, slow down maybe."
He's made all the bronze parts, and is building a shop at home to build the boat.
http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=453

He's 68.

Made my day.

[Travelnik]

This morning I went to Home Depot and bought some clear cedar for shelving in the forepeak. One side is rough so I took it to a small one man shop down the street to have it milled smooth.
I mentioned that it was going into a boat.
The guy starts to show me his parts for a small sailboat he is going to build when he retires. "Well, not really retire, slow down maybe."
He's made all the bronze parts, and is building a shop at home to build the boat.
http://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=453

He's 68.

Made my day.

I was going to build that boat in 1986. I still have the Glen-L plans. I guess I kept them all these years to keep the sailing hope alive when everything in my life looked like it would never happen.

Maybe I'll still build it, maybe not, but at least I do have my Nomad, and I'm happy with her!  :D

[David_Old_Jersey]

Mick Jagger 1943

Larry Pardey 1939
Lin Pardey 1944

Me father - 1934 (save the math - 79 next month!).

Yesterday he went down to the Harbour (mud berth) to power wash the hull of his boat (33 foot motor boat, with bilge keels - but not a lot of draft so gets to do a lot of crawling around in the mud!)

He finished early  :P so had a look at my boat (30 foot of sailing boat) - and power washed that as well  8)

and he was as happy as an OAP in mud!

Next week am gonna leave that tin of antifoul paint handy...........for him  ;D

Life is what you make of it........

[Tim]

 ;D A grog for your dad!

[CharlieJ]

Charlie Watts...1941!   ;D  WOW...72 n rockin!!

I saw them in 2006.....awesome!!

Anyhoot...on the music theme....as Neil Young sings... "better to burn out than to fade away"   ;D :o ;)

Charlie Jones...1941

;D

[Tim]

LMAO a grog for looking better than Charlie Watts! ;D

[Frank]

WAY better than Keith Richards!!!!!    ;D ;) :o 

CJ...you're a "rock star" here    ;)

[NOMN]

I'm starting to suspect that we only reach that perfect day after 80 years of struggle.

Dealing with bullshit is character building.  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbjZA3aAH3s
[they must be in their 80s by now?]

Noo I don't mean literal age, I mean time spent doing whatever it is you do in your life. I've seen 15 year old who have lives more full lives of risk than most grown men. Travel. Adventure. Doing what you love.

I'd rather go 1 full day of doing THAT than living my whole life in "safe" "average" moments that never satisfy the thirst of my soul.