Work, and Reward

I admit, I’m not a big fan of the cold weather (why I ever lived further north is beyond me!).  I like summer, I like warm sunny weather, and I’m ready to enjoy said climate again.  I realized this morning that we are already in the middle of March!  Now, you would think this would be obvious, but not to me.  The days all run together when you don’t take time off, and I’ve been neglecting to give myself any personal time.
With as many hours as I work each day, it’s made me think about WHY I insist on working such long hours.  I think it has a lot to do with upbringing.  My brother and I both grew up on the water, and it was the greatest experience I could have ever asked for as a child.  We went crabbing daily, fishing just as often, and we typically ate whatever we caught that day when dinnertime came.

(For those of you In Southern Maryland or coming to the area, head toCaptain Billy’s for dinner, and order the crabs.  You’ll thank me later.  Unless you’re allergic to shellfish, in which case you should probably ignore me)

You’ve Got To WORK For The Reward

My parents were by no means wealthy, but they worked very hard for what they have, and among a list of things too long to mention, they taught us how to:

1)  Enjoy the basics.
2) Understand that if you enjoy your work, the long hours you put in are easy.

Fishing for dinner?  We’ve done it.  We didn’t get the fancy Jet Ski’s or power boats our friends got as kids.  We got a sailboat instead, the kind that fits one, possibly 2 if someone hangs off the side of the boat.

Jib Jabbering
Sailing that boat was work, bar none!  It taught us some very important life lessons, though, and to this day, we still have that old boat, and I have zero interest in powerboats.  I remember being disappointed that I didn’t have the latest and greatest toys as a child, and I didn’t fully understand what my parents were doing, but there’s no way I could thank them enough today.

Whenever I wanted to go sailing, it took an hour just to prepare the boat, and another 30 minutes to take the gear down afterwards.  I saw the link directly:  A little work, and a little reward.  I learned to enjoy working, and was glad to do so.  It’s carried over into my adult life.  I enjoy my work immensely, and so I don’t feel a need or desire to take time off often.

At any rate, because it’s now mid-March, I need to take a day off, and go to Annapolis.  I need new sheets for my little boat, and I’m running out of time if I want to have it in the water by May first!  I wonder, will that qualify as time off to relax, or do Thomas and I need to find a new way to unwind?

(In case anyone was wondering, Thomas was the one sailing in the previous picture.  He’s on the left, on the right in the fashionable orange jacket is a dog.)