Anchorage

Being anchored is a huge part of my sense of wellbeing. Having been unanchored, wandering, and sometimes lost for much of my younger days was “interesting.” But it was not necessarily good for peace of mind. I know many people who have had quiet and unchallenging lives. Some of them express a bit of envy at the variety of experiences I’ve had.

I think that many of them feel that I planned it that way. I didn’t. It was how it fell out. And there were frequent times when I wished I could step off the merry-go-round and slip into their nice, quiet existences. It never worked out, though.

It’s not too far-fetched to admit that I’ve made something out of the accidental variant of “an interesting life” that was handed to me. I have a wide variety of experiences and a broad perspective on events. I also have some capability to see things from other people’s perspectives. But doing it is one thing; making something useful is another. And you need to make something useful of it if it is to have meaning, rather than just a jumble of random events.

Anchoring

One of the things that those who lead chaotic lifestyles need are anchoring points. It might be one place that you periodically return to, or an attachment to people or things. For me, my wife, home, kids, pets, shop, and garden are anchoring points. If forced to leave on a trip, these are the things that urge me to return without delay. It’s where I’ve dropped anchor. And other than brief excursions, I have little desire to roam again.

I’ve seen some interest in telling stories about my time doing the crazy stuff I did years ago. But I see two varieties of reaction, from people whose lives have been quiet, simple interests, and sometimes a bit of envy. But from former fellow travelers in my old world, there is a measured look and evaluation, they are the ones who know that there was a cost to those experiences.

That’s why the anchorage is so nice. We’ve paid a sometimes fearsome price for all that passed, and now we want a bit of steadiness, tranquility, and security.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway