Something to Aspire to

Every once in a while, a flurry of activity occurs related to my future aspirations and suddenly it is midday and, eek! I haven’t given Middle Passages a thought. It was in my mind early this morning when, rather than sitting down at the computer, I skedaddled out the door so I could walk before—here’s something novel—the rain arrived, but my thought was less about words and more along the lines of a picture that I’ve been trying to take for most of the summer, but that I haven’t timed quite right.

On one of my routes, I walk down a sloping causeway that cuts between marshes on either side. To the east, the bogs flow toward Little Harbor and just beyond that, inching above the horizon; you can see a thumbnail of Sandy Beach and a blue line of sea. Off the road, in a broadening tidal pond, a single rowboat floats unattended. Tied to a mooring away from any house or any other vessel, this simple white ketch drifts alone in a pool surrounded by waving fingers of green sea grass. It is a picture of tranquility and I keep hoping that I will come upon it when the water is still; during a slack tide when the light reflects soft and golden. On more than one occasion, a few minutes prior to sunset, I’ve driven the mile or so to the spot, to see if I got it right. I’ve taken pictures too, but never the one that I see in my mind, where the water is mirror clear, the sun is low and the boat floats on top of its own image in the water. Today, as happens so often, the tide had receded, the boat was resting on the mud bottom, and the camera stayed in my pocket.

The promised rain arrived before I finished the walk, so I returned home to a networking phone call with a woman who is copywriter, and caught myself explaining to her about Middle Passages, and how it has been my “job” for the past five months. She asked me if I wrote on it “say, once a week” and I answered, “No, I post five days a week with a summary on Saturday, and take Sunday off. It’s my obligation to myself, and even when I can’t complete it, I try to at least download a picture to demonstrate my commitment to post.” I wasn’t planning on that statement, but out it came, and as it did, I thought of the little boat, and how once again I’d been skunked this morning.

After the phone call, I completed an online application for a part time communications position (to supplement freelance) and I'm ashamed to say how long that took me. It occurred to me that Middle Passages might get short changed today and gee, I wish I got that picture. But then I thought, perhaps not. What a lovely exercise, to try to describe something so beautiful to me. So that’s what you got. As a bonus, I’m including one of the photos I’ve taken, although keep in mind, it is nothing compared to what I hope for.

If I ever get what I want, I promise I’ll share.