To the island, and probably, back again

     `                          To the island, and probably back again

Several people were looking at the water vehicle that was in front of them and like most, they began to talk. They often questioned each other about who was the proprietor, what type of vehicle it was, where it was destined to go, and any reasons for its journey. They looked upon it and then Pete approached them and said “I don’t see any volunteers so I guess I am ready to take the helm and go, well, wherever the shoreline is. I know what you are all thinking. My dubious sense of direction may undermine this journey but you are, well more wrong, and right.” Pete walked up to the boat and looked upon his troop and waved at them, almost asking for any last second comments. Larry then stepped forward and said “Pete I always wondered who would drive this boat and meet the challenge. Now that I can see it is you, I say, good show, and better you than me, not that I would be better, or put on a better show but.” Suddenly Pete interrupted and thanked Larry for his comment and let everyone know that his sense of direction and purpose, and sentence structure if he needed it, would be better than that rambling. He thanked everyone for coming him down and even exclaimed “I even thank anyone where who just came to be one of the crowd, or for the shrimp or the crab. Oh, I don’t mean anyone here is a shrimp or a crab or. Then he stopped himself and mentioned that he now was rambling. The small group waved as Pete started to sail away and they let him know that they were more concerned about rumbling than rambling, but wished Pete all the luck.

         Pete was now on his way and looked at the apparently continuous seashore and was now destined to reach some tropical island. He looked at what he had in front of him, the different parts of the boat, and his provisions, and any aids that would help him and shook his head, wondering which of these troubled him the most. Then Pete looked at the waters ahead and thought to himself “If these waters get troubled, then that is the biggest concern of mine, but I must persist because, there is an island out there.” He saw some waves get higher and thicker but he knew he would forge ahead because he figured, others make waves and makes him look wet behind the ears sometimes, so why not here. He then wondered “Is this how it’s going to be? I will be asking myself these questions with a few puns and metaphors on why I am continuing to make this journey despite the uncompromising waters and.” Before he finished his sentence, Pete noticed some drops of water coming down, from up above and now he had to put some of this seamanship, which at this point he felt he learned 40 hours worth in 40 minutes, a crash course. He signified to the sea that he did not hope this voyage was not on a crash course, because I pushing myself to find a tropical island, a place I have never been, but a place that seems to be within my scope, for it be a place of refuge, at least temporarily, he thought.

         The sea seemed endless but Pete knew there were places to see and perhaps visit, if he could see good enough, that were out there. They were just not obvious but neither were the diners or hotels that lined the highway where Pete drove during one of his escapades. However this was a bit different for he had to give himself nutrients and there was no check at the end to pay, just checkpoints to pay attention to, and this was something that Pete always knew he had the capacity to do, just not miles of capacity of water that lay before him. He then spoke “It seems I have been traveling for hours but time flies, not only when you are having fun, but when you are probably on the run, or wishing for the sun, and there I go with those puns again.” I promised myself I would try to abstain from some of those clever remarks even though there was no one around to hear them. Perhaps that is why I am searching for this tropical island. If there is no one around, then I will come around, and control myself, like I should be controlling this wheel on this boat.” Pete suddenly took control of the boat and directed it toward the east where he felt would give him the fastest route to the island which he knew wasn’t going to be a paradise, but just a parcel, hopefully not of ice.

         The eddy of the water now began to appear along the jagged edge of the rocky surface that was developing beside him. Suddenly the thought of land was in Pete’s mind, but he was hoping more or a land that was scratching beside the boat that he could lean into, versus a crash landing or hard landing where his boat would lose some of its parts and each part would remind him of some reason why he took this voyage. The objects of the boat that remained would serve as a purpose to continue to seek the tropical island where he would receive both solace and disquiet. Pete guided the boat against the land and set it on a path toward what he figured to be a channel toward an island where he would reside for a while and think about all the reasons for and against this voyage and all the things, pros and cons that he could do on the island, all which may be temporarily negated by aggressive natives. Pete suddenly begin to think about some of the stories he heard about tropical islands such as being surrounded by natives who were not exactly friendly or perhaps by castaways who were just that, cast away to the island, not exiled, but just cast aside by society. Perhaps Pete would just meet a few deserters who went to the island to start a new life, a life that did not start, or end up the way they wanted to, and now they would have Pete to serve as both a remedy, a retribution, a resurgence, and a renegade. Pete knew he was looking forward to meeting some of these challenges but first he had to meet his boat toward the end of the channel of rocky land while keeping control of both the rudder, and his own personality identity.

         Pete realized he was thinking of events in a rather unorganized and inane way and this was not usually part of this character. Pete then commented that this type of thinking was concealed, but not too far from his usual mode of thinking about things and if he was to reach the tropical island, he would have ample time to sort things out and decide for himself how each thinking module served its purpose. Pete admitted that he often did not think of things in positive ways or looked at the bright side unless it shone upon him with a steady stream but now he had to alter his views. The sun did shine rather hazily from above and he did all he can to see this bright side among the misty and foggy atmosphere that he was propelled into. Pete declared that he was in some control or the situation and if there was anything that was beyond his influence, he would just follow the course. He had said this before but now he realized this meant more than before as the course consisted of a steady fast current, rough waves, rampant wind, flurries from above that seemed like heavy droplets of water, and a swirling combination of air and water that he had to take charge of. Pete reasoned that his was probably part of this reason to start and then continue this journey toward the island that would probably greet him with the same combination of pleasure and pain would he received during his life but this time, he would take the bull by the horns, or rather, the fish by the hooks, for he would have to become a moderately skilled fisherman in a short time.

Pete often said things to himself like “Why do I go on? or What am I still continuing this for? Or When do I call this off? However Pete persisted and pressed on, keeping the front of the both steady and the rest of the boat in proper position and Pete thought “I always liked chemistry and tackling the elements on the periodic table, but this is the first time I am battling the elements in the deep waters, and this equilibrium is a little more tremulous than what I am used to, but I got to go on. He often asked himself questions during his life but now there was no one to listen to answer them except himself, and he would not be his own worst enemy like he sometimes was in other occasions. “The worst enemy is right out there, he pondered, to all sides, and up there, and down there, where I hopefully will never see.” Pete knew there is no one to tell me to continue and no one to ask him why he should and should not go on with this voyage, hopefully not to the bottom of the sea, as the television program suggests, but to the edge of the tropical island that he thinks he sees with his telescope. That island may be just a couple of miles away or between 30 and 40 but he figured it all looks the same to him and he was going to push his boat onward, against the waves that seemed to have increased in depth and the moving waters which seemed to have increased in vivacity but was no more forceful than Pete allowed.

However, Pete figured all this was what it should be as when you come closer to your destination. As you approach your purpose, there lies some unpredictability and uncertainty even if you are aware of what lies before you, and around you, and beside you, and if he is steady enough, not right behind you, but well behind you. Pete wanted some separation from the raging elements behind him, but not any separation that was a part of him.

Pete moved his boat toward the part of the water that seemed to be a route to the tropical island and now he had to battle the whirling wind and cool air with drops of water and the falling sun which was behind the clouds but this would not inhibit his efforts. Pete reasoned that even if the tropical island was further than he thought, he was almost in a mode of conduct that he had to carry on, and he would not be carried out, but he would be the carrier, of this boat toward the island, not be a carrier of some disease. This was the negative and after all he went through today, and this means fog and wind and mist and blustery weather, more than what Pete had conjured in his mind, he had to see the positive. Pete then said “No one may know that I reached this island or what I had to overcome, and I may not know at this time what I will do or what my first meal will be, and I said “first meal”, not ‘last meal”, but I will let things fall as they may, and I mean the parts of this eventful journey, not the parts of my boat.” I am going to follow this course and reach that island that is in front of me and I will try to be hospitable to whoever I may meet. The island now seems less than a mile away from me.

         Pete now positioned his boat in a straight line which he always tried to do before in some of his pursuits but now he had the opportunity to see what is actually before him and really keep things straight, both his direction and what is going on in his head. He now had a sense of direction about him and he would do all he can to make his boat arrive at the tropical island, a boat he figured was now exactly the sturdy object he began the trip with. He did not want to look at how his boat was holding up for Pete had all he can to hold up his end, and he meant that in a literal sense. Pete was now standing and looked toward the island that he was about to land and it seemed innocent enough but this always made Pete suspicious and inquisitive. Pete saw the palm trees and some areas to fish and some material where he could make a hut, however he then contemplated? “I am looking around like I plan on being here for a long time but if I do things the way I want to and plan things out and learn from my experience in this journey, I should be able to plan a return trip in a short time. Pete then said “Well I am just about at the end of this journey and now I shall get off the boat and start a new expedition. I am walking on the island and I know this is not like walking on the moon although you would not know it with the wobbles and quiver and I do seem to feel a bit lighter, and I am walking rather cautiously. However, this still feels like a historic moment and now I can gather my thoughts, and gather my provisions which seem to be a little more erratic, and get my self settled and now plan the rest of my efforts. Pete admitted this was a thrill and a shrill and if I had to do it again, I probably would not, but that is one the of reasons why I made this voyage. I could not look back, I had to look forward to the sides, and I had to continue, and when I got to the island, I might say, “This was a side of me I never thought I had.”. However, the sides of me I knew I had Pete would be thankful they were still a part of him, more so physically, but mentally too, and now he would plan his life.