Captain's Log

I cannot recall a time in the past 30 years when we all suffered from such a dramatic case of communal uncertainty. We seem beset from all sides by things to worry about - the war in Iraq, the huge budget deficits, bird flu, global warming, ballooning health costs, record levels of personal debt, skyrocketing gas prices, the impossible cost of higher education and more. How can a sane person react to it all?

The information juggernaut seems to increase every year as we get ever more married to our cell phones, e-mail, weblogs, iTunes, podcasts, streaming video, instant online news and the e-Bay universe. Was the human brain really designed to absorb all of this?

Those of us with younger children or aging parents or both know that our own busy schedules - schedules that make us the most productive and wealthiest people on the planet - are complex, demanding and relentless. Being busy and productive is good. But this busy?

The net effect is uncertainty and stress. Something like 30 percent of adult Americans take mood altering drugs like Prozac. Who knows how many are taking other performance drugs like Viagra? No wonder Yoga has become the fastest growing "sport" in America as we try to find efficient ways to ameliorate the stress and find some peace in the torrent of modern life.

There is another and more permanent antidote. Anyone reading BWS will know what it is - LOG OFF THE WEB, STEP OFF THE TREADMILL AND GO SAILING.

Boarding a sailboat has the effect of a magical elixir. Sailboats are things of grace and beauty in themselves; stepping aboard you can feel shoreside tensions melt away as you get caught up in the simple and ancient rituals of preparing a ship to sail; and once the sails are set and the boat is cutting effortlessly through the water using only the wind for power, you know you can let the world go for a while as you physically relax and mentally focus on the simple and natural business of traveling under sail.

The funny thing is that the antidote only takes about 30 minutes to kick in. And as long as you stay aboard, cruising from place to place or simply sailing up and down a coastal bay, the effects last. And even if the cell phone rings or you decide to download e-mail, it is not the same as it is ashore. Out on your boat you are the master of your world, you and your family and friends are busy with all the essential little chores that keep a sailboat going smoothly so most communications can be answered with a simple "Sorry, we're out sailing."

Life is short enough as it is and stress and uncertainty only make it shorter. Take the antidote whenever you can, give it to your children and friends, pass it out freely and you may well be rewarded with a new sense of peace and a clearer perspective on what is important and what is not.

Fair winds,