Chapter 8
Ten Days on the Delta
The
Quest 2 Find a Cure 4 Cancer, has
started well before Floyd & I Came on board to do our part . . .
2 Motor-Row-Sail 4 the
Cure.
The first chapter of the Story of Joe & Floyd began on
April 7, 2012 . . . the day when I first met Floyd.
Today is now Saturday, July 14,
2012, and Floyd & I have been on the Delta for 10 days.
It is
important to note, that neither Floyd nor I is special . . . based upon
celebrity status or of wealth . . .
We are special only because we are common .
. .
We are
your next-door neighbor or the friend across town. Floyd is the woman who made you feel
comfortable when you shared a loss of a loved one. She told your friends of your need and they
all baked pies and made food for you.
I was the
guy who mowed your lawn, brought your trashcans to the street on garbage day,
and asked your neighbor to bring your mail to your door.
Floyd
& I are special only because we are common . . . just like the neighbor kid
who makes gift packages for our young men serving our military . . . or the mom who unites with other moms who
fight for laws to get drunk drivers off the road . . .
We are “All”
Special . . . because we have in common
. . . a
single purpose of caring . . . not just for the kid down the street, while his
parents are working, or for the elderly couple next door who needs help to
change a light bulb.
We are
Common, because we put others before our own needs, and we are common because our own needs, more often
than not, is more often postponed and for some never fulfilled. That common
need is to find comfort and to make sense of losing a loved one.
Floyd has
taught me that both can be accomplished, if we take time to love and forgive
ourselves just as we love and forgive those we love that are infirmed beyond
current medical cures.
The
donation of money to medical research institutions will undoubtedly extend the
lives of folks that follow our lifetime.
However, the immediate vacuum to be filled is to find a cure to unleash
our spiritual power to share the blessings of our everyday life with everyone,
but Floyd reminds me that we must first cherish the spiritual power of life
within ourselves.
“I also shared with Floyd that
it was a passion of mine to sail the 700 miles of the Sacramento River Delta
waterway. As Ken returned from his business call, Floyd and I included him into
our conversation. Long story short, we all embraced the pursuit of an adventure
to Sail “Floyd” through the 700 miles of navigable waterway in the Sacramento
Delta. Floyd and I have now bonded. Floyd
since birth was not fitted for this adventure.
Ken and I, with the assistance of many references to previous Potter
Owner’s modifications . . . re-fitted her so that we could make this adventure
possible. Most stories have a beginning,
middle, and end . . . The Story of Joe & Floyd is no different. Floyd and I met on 4/7/2012, shared our
history and found common grounds, and decided to ‘Sail 4 the Cure”.”
If I had
not met Floyd, I most likely would have never fulfilled my passion to
motor-row-sail the 700 miles of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Waterway
. . . nor would I most likely have found a way to connect, on a spiritual
level, with my loved ones to share our sorrow of loss. Floyd, has an uncommon nature that invites
the sharing of personal experiences that elevates them to a heighten level of
commonness.
Floyd will
play an important role in assisting me through my personal self-doubts related
to the trials & pleasures of embarking on a 700 mile adventure and my faith
in our lord will guide me through my related
trials & pleasures to stay
connected on a spiritual level, with my loved ones to celebrate life as well as the shared sorrow
of loss.
Post Script: I contacted Ken of
International Marine regarding my fuel line problem on July 9th and
on July 10th; Oscar (Ken’s right hand guy) contacted me to let me
know that a new fuel line was being priority mailed to me. Thursday, July 12th, the new line
was received and installed. Floyd & I did a shakedown run that day and on
Friday the 13th on the Georgiana Slough. The problem is now resolved and this layover
gave me an opportunity to lighten up the storage of unnecessary equipment on
Floyd. We also had an opportunity to
practice our rowing around Perry’s Island.
Just prior to posting this Blog update, I purchased and installed a
secondary anchor/rode for Floyd, which would permit me to drop anchor from the cockpit. This modification was devised from at least two
Potter Owners who have shared their know-how and innovations to other Potter
Owners.
Til’ we chat again, Floyd &
Joe
The Story of Joe
& Floyd is just beginning . . .
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