tired of being wired

I use a macbook (center) for my work. And then I had to get a droid phone (right) to find out what I had to do for each day's work. And now somebody handed me an ipad (left) to figure out how to use it for work. It all leaves me a little bit too connected for my taste.

When my daughters were young and had time to go sailing with me (in the days before jobs, social life and boyfriends) we had a rule about electronics on the boat. No ipods, no cell phones, no nothing. That way we had nothing to do but talk. Those afternoons sailing with my daughters, talking about boats, school, friends and life will always be among my favorite memories.

I do most of my sailing by myself these days. I do confess to having a phone along and at times calling Bruce to talk about cruising plans. But otherwise I'm content to listen to nothing but the wind and the waves (and - ok, ok - maybe a football game on the radio now and then). But silence, particularly like that I heard on the Bay Days cruise, was pretty nice. (I do find myself missing the peacefulness of that cruise.)

The more electronic devices I have the less I want to be around them. The only good reason I can find right now to have three different computers, phones, ipads -- whatever -- is that I can have them all open to one of my favorite websites - David Perillo's Open Boat New Zealand (those are all Welsford boats, including Spartina, left, on those screens). (Thanks for the great site, David.)

I think I'll turn them all off right now and go out for a walk.

steve