How does a boat enter the world’s smallest harbor? We were fortunate enough to watch it firsthand. What an experience! My wife and I had a beautiful visit to the Pacific Northwest in the spring. We had a wonderful time seeing all the sights and sounds along the Oregon coast. We stopped in the small town of Dupont Bay, and took in the world’s smallest harbor. While we were there, we saw the Coast Guard boat approaching the entranceway. We paused, looked at each other, and asked how the heck are they going to do that? The waves were crashing on the rocks all around them and the boat was getting tossed like it was on Gilligans island. It was an extremely dangerous situation for all involved.
A crowd gathered around us, and we were all holding our breath that they would make this journey successfully. The boat seemed to be charging pretty fast. I kept asking myself, what are they doing? As they approached the entranceway the boat slowed, circled around, and then seemed to wait. A few waves passed and then there were a few seconds of calm. The boat charged forward at full speed, with some steam rising from the engine. They headed towards the entranceway in between the waves and then slowed once again. The boat gently glided between the rocks. The crowd erupted with applause, and the coastguard members pumped their fists into the air. He gave us a lengthy blow of the boat whistle in celebration. It was a beautiful moment.
As I reflected upon this, I thought about rough moments in our lives. How do we handle them? How do we approach dangerous situations? Do we just charge a head full speed? Do we pause and take a look at the situation? Do we go faster and slower, do we read the situation around us? The Coast Guards did all of that and more. I was extremely impressed, and it made me think about navigating difficult pathways in my own life.
As you approach these difficult situations in your own life, take some lessons from the coast guardsmen in reading the most difficult situation. If I can help you in any way don’t hesitate to reach out at @andrewmarotta21 on Twitter. Keep rolling friends and may your ship land in a safe harbor even if it’s the smallest one in the world.
Quote: “Time is neutral and does not change things. With courage and initiative, leaders change things.”
– Jesse Jackson
