What happened to the solo sailor???

[Marlene Anne Sassaman]

Blogging has taken a back seat to living the life of an unwedded housewife. It is a strange new world. Interestingly, I recently met a fellow sailor who made this comment.

     I was a housewife my entire adult life. I wish I had taken on a career, some type of job. Now, at my age (about 55         +/-) I can't find work." The counselor in me questioned her choice of the word can't. Softly I whispered, it is never too late to make a change, learn a new skill, there are jobs for those who want them. "No," she proclaimed, "I can't." 

As we were at an informal quiet beach party, I dropped my tone. I did, however, persist to say something like being a career girl may not be all it is cracked up to be. Here I am at 66  and am just now learning to be a housewife, well, at least an at home girlfriend. Truly, it is different. yet just as satisfying. Of course, in my situation I am financially independent of my mate. I can choose how my money is spent. My mate and I share expenses. He does more than his share of work improving my boat as well as his house. I do contribute a token amount of rent toward his household expenses and we split the cost of food and entertainment. We each have our own cars. 

My daily life is set around his schedule, his choice of events, and meals. Certainly there are times I choose if I want a day in town by myself, what books I read and how I spend my time. Unlike my years or being a working girl during my 35 year marriage, I don't put myself first. I don't belong to any clubs, I don't commit to volunteer work, nor do I plan any outing without first checking with my mate. It is a different attitude. 

We both enjoy sailing. Though he prefers to motor sail to keep the boat at 7 knots and mostly explore easy to anchor places. While that makes perfect sense. I am the more adventurous one. I will easily sail to places unknown at the first hint of parting our ways. Because we committed to live together until we die, and because we seem to enjoy each other's company as well as most happy couples I have no desire to break apart.

One day I would like to further explore the pros and cons of which lifestyle is best. My guess is neither is perfect. We make decisions. We choose what we do. We take the good with the bad. We sail through life and at least for me, wish it were longer. There is so much to do,,,Regardless of your lifestyle, remember to dream at once each day, because regardless of whether you are a married housewife, a girlfriend or a solo passenger on the good ship earth, dreams really do come true...

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