Accidental Sailor

I am not sure how it happened, but I am fairly confident about the when. It was during the Christmas school holidays at Caloundra Rollerdome in 1985. This cute fifteen-year guy asked me to skate with him. And that was that.

He knew before me that ours was a future to be spent together. I was the resistant one I have to admit. He was a beach bum after all and I was a Queensland country girl just visiting from the bush. But, as is so often the case and has been throughout the last 35 years, he was right.

Before I knew it, this farmer’s daughter had committed to not only that crazy guy but everything that came with him. And that included wind in the sails, a deck under my feet and oceans ready to explore. It was not the future I thought I would have, nor the kind of journey I had in mind when a teenage girl dreaming of what life would bring. But you know what, the winding road and oceans I found myself on so far, have been truly wondrous. Scary sometimes, challenging almost always but absolutely fabulous. We have certainly had our share of sadness and loss, but the journey that my beach bum boy has taken me on so far has also been full of happiness and belly rolling laughter. I say full, but in truth there is a whole lot of room left yet and I intend to stuff it to the brim. As the fabulous Ms Mae West once supposedly said “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”.