Salt Water In My Veins - Chapter 1 - read or hear.

1. Nomad

Land goes forever, there is no end to it. So, how can you decide where to live; in which town or on what street to stop; what woman to marry?
TDLemmon1900 in 'The legend of 1900'

Why do we travel? Is it in the vain hope of finding happiness and fulfillment in some other place? Nope, it's not here in Paris, perhaps over there in Rome. As they say, wherever you go, there you are.
When traveling becomes a search for happiness outside of ourselves, a means to an end; when we continue to live in the past or the future while we travel, it doesn't bring peace of mind or serenity, only frustration, and disappointment. 
When I travel it seems easier to stay present, in the moment because everything is new, fresh, unknown, exciting, and possibly dangerous. I remember the first time I went for a long weekend sail cruise with some friends. Time stood still and the three days felt like three weeks, I felt so far away from daily worries and concerns and the present moment was so crystal clear.

Sailing offshore along the Pacific coast and later across the Atlantic, I saw a sky that was truly awesome in its glory, with colours of the rainbow all around us or clouds and fog surrounding us like feathers shaken out of a duvet. At night we were often the only speck of humanity for hundreds of miles around, surrounded only by stars and their reflections in the ocean.

And now, as I cruise from country to country and from harbour to harbour, each new place amazes in some way. In Alicante, Spain, it was the sight of the old woman in black selling garlic from a converted baby carriage in the town square. On Majorca, it was the lamb dinner straight from a wood-fired oven that had been simmering all afternoon while we climbed to a ruined castle near the restaurant and the farm where the lambs were raised. In Rome, it was the sudden and unexpected view of the Coliseum from a side street. In Florence, it was the sound of a young girl singing opera on a street corner.

Moments like that take my breath away and inspire. I have been wondering why the same feeling of awe is described as 'it takes my breath away,' and 'it inspires me.' One means breathing out and the other breathing in. Breathing is what keeps us alive. Is it possible that awe-some sights, smells, tastes, and sounds keep our soul alive?

Traveling is what feeds my soul, what gives me energy. Yet, perhaps, I’m beginning to think, paying more attention in one place, one town, one neighborhood would do the same thing. Perhaps there are many inspiring things that would take my breath away, right where I am, if I was just to look more deeply and with more presence. Now all I have to do is to find that place. Perhaps it’s just around the corner…

I long to belong, but cruising is not a good way of accomplishing this goal. I meet many people while traveling, however, after an evening in an anchorage or a harbor, we go our separate ways and in the morning I continue my search for a new homeport.

I want to find a self-sufficient village where everyone knows from which farmer the milk comes, who makes the best bread, and that the mayor is related to the inn-keeper. I want to find a community where I can work, live, play, and find all I need within walking distance. There are many villages and towns like this in the Mediterranean, but which one is my home?

Am I a bird blown off course that has lost its flock and tries to join a new flock time and time again without success? No, this is not my flock and not this one either? Where is my flock? Where is my pod, my family, my tribe?

I am perhaps like a plant that was pulled up by the roots in youth when my parents decided to leave Poland and immigrate to Canada, and now it's too late for the roots to dig in deeply. Should I just stop somewhere, anywhere, and put those roots down hoping the soil is fertile and my roots will take? Or are my roots so dried and withered that no matter where they will not grow?

The old-time traveling salesman comes to mind. He was forever moving from town to town, bringing news, and spreading ideas or gossip, moving on before he got too attached to any one place or community, yet feeding on the intimacy for a while, offering the dream of foreign lands and inspiration for others to reach beyond the town walls in exchange. I think perhaps that is my purpose whether I like it or not – the life of a nomad.

~~~_/)

Listen to the reading of this chapter here.

The Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch is a one-sentence distillation of your manuscript that you want to have ready just in case you meet a famous movie director or a major book publisher in an elevator and he asks about your work. It also helps to keep your manuscript on track and focused. 

A pitch should have the following: a protagonist, a goal, and an opponent. It should be concise yet attract curiosity.

For example:

With the help of a beer-guzzling ex-boyfriend and ahead of approaching hurricane season, a single woman struggles to cross the Atlantic on a small sailboat.

What do you think? 

What is a Beta Reader

Once your manuscript is as good as you can make it, it is time to show your new creation to a select, small group of people who will hopefully admire it like a newborn that it is. These are your Beta readers.

Their job is to read the entire manuscript and to make supportive, yet constructive comments and answer questions such as:

1. Did the opening scene capture your attention? Why or why not?

2. Did you get a good sense of the setting?

3. Did you notice any inconsistencies in setting, timeline, or characters? If so, where?

4. Did the dialogue keep your interest and sound natural?

5. How did you feel about the characters?

6. Did you get bored while reading the story? At which point?

7. Was the ending satisfying and believable? Are you left with any unanswered questions?

It's best to find your Beta readers among people who read books of the genre you have written, and who, once the book is finalized and published, would be happy to recommend it to others. Preferably, they are not a writer themselves, or you'll find that they might want to rewrite your story in their own voice. There are many ways of writing a story and you should feel confident enough about your point of view, your voice, and your style before submitting your manuscript to a Beta reader.

The most appropriate way of thanking them for their help is by sending them a signed copy of your published book.

The longer I live, the more I listen to the people who say the least.

If you listen carefully, you'll notice that most people talk a lot of rubbish. It's called chit chat or cocktail talk. "The weather is fine, don't you agree?" "Wasn't that an interesting newscast last night?" "Do you want to hear a joke?" And "How was your weekend?"

If that was the end of it, I see no problem. Being polite is part of living in a civilized society.

But with some people, asking them how they are, can be the start of an hour-long monologue. Sometimes they'll trick you and ask how you are first.
"Fine, thank you and you?" you respond. 
And that's what the pontificators and motor mouths of this world wait for. They will tell you in minute detail the dream they had last night and then without taking a breath, also the breakfast they ate, and lunch, and dinner. They also had an afternoon nap, you will find. They will follow up with the story of their family and their relationship with an ex-partner. There is no bottom to the pit of topics they can come up with and all of it is about them.
Being a quiet introvert, I used to be a magnet for these people. They love a good listener. But no more. I have their number and it's been blocked.

That's why I love writing. The first draft can be very wordy and you can record everything that comes to mind. But then you edit so that each sentence says what is most important in as few words as possible as if polishing a gem. 
Finally, your manuscript is trimmed down from 300,000 words to 60,000 but like turning a fine wine into an exquisite cognac, your finished masterpiece distills what's best in your story.
How I wish everyone had this editor in their brain before they open their mouth. But sadly we haven't yet evolved that far. And so, I avoid the chatterboxes, who attempt to collar me and assume from my polite hello that I am eager to know their life story.
"Why don't you write a book", I suggest. "You seem to have a lot to say."
"Oh, I couldn't, it's too much work, I'd rather tell it."
Well, not to me, you won't, thank you very much. I actually do have a book to write. 
And if I want to hear a story, I will find my friend who rarely speaks but when he does, diamonds tumble out of his mouth.

By the way, if you are trying to learn a foreign language, it is enough to memorize a few simple phrases, such as, "Hi, how are you," and "I'm fine and you?" If you know a half dozen sentences such as this, often people will assume that you are fluent in their language and begin a lengthy one-sided conversation. 

The dreaded "I" in memoirs.

It is possible that I should stop asking people to critique and edit and comment on my Atlantic Crossing manuscript or I will never publish it. Yet, reading it out loud, I still find sections that I want to change and paragraphs that don't sound smooth. 

One of my beta readers told me that I have too many sentences beginning with "I". How do you write a memoir not using "I"? So, I checked several other memoirs that are quite popular.
"Wild," by Sheryl Strayed begins as follows:

My solo three-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail had many beginnings. There was the first, flip decision to do it, followed by the second, more serious decision to actually do it, and then the long third beginning, composed of weeks of shopping and packing and preparing to do it. There was the quitting my job as a waitress and finalizing my divorce and selling almost everything I owned and saying goodbye to my friends and, and, and...

 A ridiculous way to begin a book in my opinion and likely manipulated in order to avoid the use of the dreaded "I". All the sentences begin with "There was..."

I could rewrite my beginning to sound like that: 

 My ten-week sail across the Atlantic had many beginnings. There was the first time I was invited to sit on a sailboat and go for a short sail and loving it. Then there was the joining of a university sailing club and crewing in races at a real yacht club just to be able to pursue my passion. Then there was another invitation to be a chaperone for a married woman and her lover on another boat and then there was the trade of working for a sailing school in exchange for sailing lessons. Then there was the first decision to buy my own sailboat and to actually live on it in winter, followed by the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth more serious decision each time to sell one boat and buy another one. Then there was the crewing on other people's boats offshore out of sight of land and finding that I loved it, then there was the staying on board in Mexico for two years and also loving it. And then there was another beginning composed of weeks of looking for the right boat to sail around the world, shopping and packing and preparing to do it. But no, it actually wasn't like that. It was more like I loved sailing and there really was no decision to make. I bought a boat, my seventh, to live on, in Florida and had to leave Florida or pay the sales tax which I didn't have money for. So, ini-mini-miny-moe, I chose the Bahamas as the most promising destination. And then the hurricane season was upon us so I had to leave again. Ini-mini-miny-moe, crossing the Atlantic seemed like the best choice.

Is that better?
And how about this beginning from another bestseller, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert:

I wish Giovanni would kiss me.Oh, but there are so many reasons why this would be a terrible idea. To begin with, Giovanni is ten years younger than I am, and -- like most Italian guys in their twenties, he still lives with his mother. These facts alone make him an unlikely romantic partner for me, given that I am a professional American woman in my mid-thirties, who has just come through a failed marriage and a devastating, interminable divorce, followed immediately by a passionate love affair that ended in sickening heartbreak. This loss upon loss has left me feeling sad and brittle and about seven thousand years old.

And my version:

I wish I could have a man in my life.Oh, but there are so many reasons why this would be a terrible idea. To begin with, there are no suitable men here. There is one who owns a large powerboat and wants me to cut my hair and I hate powerboats and love my long hair. There is another one that I do find attractive but who doesn't even give me a second glance. And then there are two more men, who seem to prefer each other's company to mine. These facts alone make it unlikely that I will find a romantic partner here in the Bahamas while living on my sailboat. Also, given that I am a professional Canadian woman in my early fifties, who has just come through a failed marriage and a devastating, interminable divorce, followed immediately by a passionate love affair that ended in sickening heartbreak, looking for love at this time is a terrible idea. This loss upon loss has left me feeling sad and brittle and about seven thousand years old.

So, I think I will stay with my own (slightly altered) beginning and to hell with the "I"s.

Mozart’s Concerto No. 5, pours out of the speaker in the cockpit. Drops of sweat run down my neck and chest into the crevice between my breasts and over my stomach, as I dip a brush into a can of varnish, its turpentine smell overpowering the scent of the sea and carefully spread the golden liquid on the teak trim of my new sailboat. I am lost in the moment as I try to match brush strokes to the rhythm of the music.

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic era

It seems that people everywhere are going to have to get used to a new life, which includes the constant risk of the coronavirus infection or perhaps even a more virulently evolved version of the COVID-19.

So far, we are facing an extended lockdown, only to be relaxed briefly to allow some semblance of economic recovery as long as the hospitals can keep up with the inevitably rising infection cases. This means, many businesses will go bankrupt, and the ones that will survive will have to adapt to the new distancing measures and so raise their prices to survive.

Even if or when herd immunity is established, COVID-19 can easily mutate to cause a new pandemic or if not that, there is bound to arrive yet another virus perhaps even more deadly. This is not going away very soon. This is a long term change that we will have to face. 

Here are some of the specific changes that I foresee:

Housing: Whoever is able to afford it, will move to the country. The large cities will become too dangerous and so those who will remain will be the poor. The upper-middle-class and above will work remotely from their home in the country. Professionals will have their offices in their homes to avoid commuting and risking infection. They will have fewer clients and so their services will rise in price.

Food: Food will be grown and raised on small farms and in small gardens and orchards, each household growing their own if possible, with the shops sourcing local food. The delivery service to one's home will increase.

Clothing: People will be wearing cotton, silk and leather gloves, glasses, veils, hats, perhaps even longer, wide dresses. They will be keeping other people at a distance using large hats, sticks, and canes. 

Health: People will try to avoid going to hospital fearing infection. Those who will be able to afford it will have home visits from the doctor and delivery of medications from the pharmacy. Others will either die or develop immunity to the virus at hand until a new virus arrives. Many people will try to self heal and improve their health using herbs, diet, and exercise. Future generations will evolve to be more resistant to the virus. The gene pool will shrink. Survival of the fittest.

Caring for the elderly and at-risk: Older people will be staying home and having live-in trusted servants, caregivers, assistants and deliveries. The less wealthy will be looked after by family members. Fewer people will go into nursing homes. More will die at home.

Travel: Most people will stay in their local villages and towns. Holiday travel will become too expensive and so reserved only for the wealthy. Most airlines, cruise liners, long-distance trains will go bankrupt or have to adapt to distancing, and so become more expensive. People will spend more money (if they have any extra) on improving their living situation instead of traveling and commuting. 

Crime: With less travel, the level of crime will fall. Criminals will not be able to escape as easily and so will learn to live in the community as best as they can. There might be more domestic violence temporarily but eventually, people will have to adapt to their home situation because leaving will become too difficult. 

Education: Most education will take place online. The wealthy will be able to afford tutors to teach their children at home but the poor will become less educated since they won't be able to afford the Internet and computers for at-home learning. 

Work: The more educated will work from home. The service industry will be reduced, raise their prices and serve the wealthy individually. The rest of the population will learn to service their own items. Guaranteed income will be instituted by most first world countries. This will encourage the arts, music, literature, and quality crafts to flourish.

Shopping: People will shop less and for quality items only, made locally. There will be mistrust of poorly made items from China and Asia.

Social life and entertainment: Going out will become more risky, so many venues such as restaurants, theatres, and sporting venues will go bankrupt. Those that survive will become more expensive. Large gatherings will be rare or will seize altogether. More people will pray at home and the churches will have smaller congregations. People will entertain at home and invite only close acquaintances and friends. There will be more small exclusive clubs with increased level of security before allowing others to join.

Love: People will form romantic attachments from a distance, online. Romantic love will be reignited and physical love will happen more often only after engagement/commitment/marriage. People will need to obtain immunity certificates in order to marry. Marriage and divorce will become more difficult to obtain.

All of this sounds like we'll be going back to the Victorian or Edwardian era. Pride and Prejudice anyone?

Self editing - read it out loud.

The first step in self-editing is to read the whole manuscript out loud. The best way I found of doing this is to read it to the voice recorder on my smartphone. I tried having a robot voice read it (some editing software offers this feature), but it is clunky and sounds unrealistic. Having a friend or a family member read it is also a possibility but I don't like to impose at this stage because I often want to make changes as I read. Reading it yourself allows you to stop, pause, reread a section that sounds off, revise your manuscript, and continue when you are satisfied.

This method of self-editing should tell you if your sentences and paragraphs flow or not. You'll notice repeated words and overly long sentences. I noticed that my chapters were too long, so split several into shorter ones. I find that a chapter of approximately 2,000 words that can be read in 10 to 15 minutes satisfies quite well and can be accomplished while commuting, waiting for an appointment, or while at the airport. Make sure that your chapters end on a cliff hanger and you'll find that your readers will be eagerly wanting to read the next one as soon as possible.

Full moon and completion of another book.

Super moon

We are having a super big full moon this week. The moon is at the closest position to the earth. Big tides and big storms. Also, the full moon represents completion, the height of power, the realization of one's desires and the peak of clarity. It is a time to celebrate your growth, take note of what progress you have made and to reflect on how far you have come. 
I finished the final (hopefully) rewrite of my second book, Atlantic Crossing. Yes, I thought I was finished last September, but other things took over my life and I wasn't ready to publish. I lost my drive for most of the winter for some reason. 
But, my energy, drive, and self-discipline have returned and it is now time to polish it (again) and send it to some (more) beta readers. Four of my friends agreed to do it, we just need to negotiate the price or trade. I prefer to trade but we'll see. The usual offer is a signed copy of the published book. Three of my friends already told me they liked the first chapter. Keeping my fingers crossed they like the rest.

I also sent it to New York Book Editors (who in fact are located in Florida, not New York) for a quote. Given that I am not expecting this book to be a best seller or a life changer, their quote is quite a bit out of my budget. However, it is good to give it a try. Perhaps the next book will be more marketable.
They sent me the name and CV  of an editor who is interested in taking a look at my manuscript, but it doesn't look like she has any experience sailing, so no, it won't do.

Logbook from Atlantic Crossing

I compiled the manuscript into one file and while I am reading it, again, I keep finding a better way to say things. Also, while sorting things on the boat, I found my old logbook and some notes from the crossing. I will definitely have to read it and see if there is anything I can add to the book. 
Will this ever end with me being satisfied with the result? 
I so look forward to finally seeing it in print.

Reading 50K to Writing 50K app

"There are plenty difficult obstacles in your path. Don't allow yourself to become one of them." Ralph Morrison

Since I couldn't find a motivational app for writers that I like, I decided to write one myself. I am using a calendar to remind me each day that I need to write, a stopwatch to time the writing session, and a tape recorder.

The app is modeled on the original C25K (Couch to 5 km) running app but is adjusted for the life of a writer who is suffering from the often praised malady of reading too much and not getting anything written - thus the name: Reading 50K to Writing 50K.

During week 1, the program involves a 3-minute preparation, then two segments of 10 minutes of writing with a 3-minute break in the middle, followed by a 3-minute finishing up. Participants are encouraged to use it every day.

Here is the beta app to help you write regularly:

I am now working on week 2 (increasing the time writing) and packaging the app for marketing. 

Keep writing!

Writing prompt: 300 words starting with, "I blame the quarantine."

This is not my idea, it belongs to Dr. Karen Boren a professor at Rhode Island College. Check the link to send your entry in. 

Here is mine: 
I blame the quarantine for getting me to write again.

It has been a long time, over six months since I've opened the Scribner project file for my second book, Atlantic Crossing. I was having an extended writer's block. It started soon after I had my writing group read it and make comments. It was much too soon. Stephen King said that he writes the first draft with the door closed and the second with it open. Even then, it is only his wife that gets to comment on it. I better remember this advice in the future.

There are other reasons why I didn't write for so long. I live on my sailboat in Greece. In spring I have many boat maintenance projects to tackle. With a helper to assist, we clean, sand, varnish, and paint leaving the writing simmering on the back burner of my mind.

In summer it gets even harder to get any work on my book done, because there are so many other, more fun things to do, such as suntanning, swimming, and hanging out in a cafe with friends.

I promise myself to write in the fall and winter when the weather deteriorates and I spend more time inside my boat. But this past winter, I fought and lost this promise, and instead played on my new keyboard, read, cooked, napped and of course, browsed the Internet.

In mid-March, Greece went into lockdown due to the Coronavirus and for the first two weeks, I followed the developments online. But now, I see that this will be a long quarantine and so have accepted the inevitable lost summer of sailing. After reading that Shakespeare wrote King Lear during the plague, I have finally set up a schedule to work on my soon to be a bestseller.

I blame it on the quarantine.

Be More Productive In 7 Days, by Phyllis Korkki

While we are all under lockdown due to the Coronavirus, I'm trying to get a few things done instead of spending most of the day browsing the Internet. However, while browsing last night, I found an article in The New York Times, "Be More Productive In 7 days," by Phyllis Korkki. Perfect! I love learning new things. 

The form of the article is simple: 

Day 1: Commit to 10 minutes. 
It means setting a timer for 5 minutes to work, then one-minute rest followed by another 5 minutes of work. That's easy, I said to myself. I've been wanting to finish this book I started a couple of years ago and keep postponing. But I can do something for 10 minutes even if all I get done is open the Scrivener project file. And what do you know? I actually went through several sections of chapter 8 that I've been stuck on. 
Once the timer goes off marking the end of the work, you're supposed to stop and so I patted myself on the back for getting through my writer's block. Interestingly enough, on another app I've been exploring, I received a quote by Confucius, "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop." Very fitting. I signed up for reminders to the productivity plan and this morning received a message from Phyllis with day two assignment. 

Day 2: Make a Realistic To-Do List. 
This means a specific list with fewer than 12 short tasks that can be accomplished in 10 minutes and each with a visible result. I'm using Google Tasks and Calendar for reminders, of things to do so I went through the list for today and adjusted the items to be shorter and more specific. I am happy to report that I completed most of them. 

Day 3: Connect Your Body and Mind. 
This is about posture and how good posture and deep breathing encourages good productivity while at one's desk. Also, the need to take regular breaks. Dr. Korkki recommends working for 10-20 minutes and then taking a physical break to stand up or walk around before resuming work. I do slouch while writing on my laptop and bend my head down to see the screen. Not a good idea but I'm not sure how to correct that except to work at a stand-up desk. Perhaps I'll put the laptop on the top companionway step... not easy to type this way. But taking a regular break is an idea I will definitely adopt. 

Day 4: Rise Above the Noise. 
This one is not as easy as it sounds. It involves turning off all distractions such as email, Facebook, news updates, phone, walk-ins, and so on. The best way to deal with those is to check them on your schedule, not when something pings. Dr. Korkki suggests every hour, but I think I can manage three times a day. The rest of the time, I am free to get some work done. Of course, as per assignment for day 1, all I need to do is 10 minutes of work per day. 😇 

Day 5: Find a Partner. 
This is not so easy. I've never had success with accountability partners. They either flake out or couldn't care less if I get things done as they're too busy living their life. Dr. Korkki also suggests posting one's measurable, specific goal with a deadline of today or tomorrow on social media and then posting once it's done. I've been doing this with my runs on Strava but there isn't anything like it for writers. I need an accountability partner who is a writer. Now, which goal should I choose for this assignment? Finish my book! 

Day 6: Extend Your Focus. 
This assignment is about working on a bigger project and focusing on a single task for two hours with two or three unscheduled breaks if necessary. The purpose is to focus on working longer but not worrying about quality, just quantity. Many of us are perfectionists and get blocked because we worry about not getting it right. "Focus on quantity and let God worry about quality." It is hoped that you will reach the state of flow where you lose track of time and accomplish much more than you expect. 

Day 7: Look to the Future. 
This is about just looking over the past week and seeing how you did. What worked and what didn't. What have you learned and did you notice the benefits of following the assignment's suggestions? Write down three new things you did this week that could potentially be carried over into new and permanent habits over time. Place the list on your desk in view, so that it could help you get you back on track next time your mind starts to stray from your work. Ok, so I set up a timer for 5, 10, and 15 minutes to get my scheduled projects done. I wrote an app to keep me writing regularly, recorded a video of me playing piano for a talent show, and asked a friend to be my cheerleader. 

All good. A worthwhile set of assignments to become more productive. 

By the way, Phyllis Korkki is the author of The Big Thing: How to Complete Your Creative Project Even if You're a Lazy, Self-Doubting Procrastinator Like Me. 

Can't wait to read it AFTER I finish my own book!

C25K for writers

I've been running for over a year now using C25K (couch to 5km) app to motivate and encourage me. The first week I used it, it told me to run/walk three times a week, with more walking and less running. It beeped at me to change from one to the other. During the following 8 weeks, the app told me to progressively run more and walk less until, by the end of the program, I was able to run the entire 30 minutes. I have graduated now to the next app, the C2 10K and have developed the habit of getting out and doing my run every second day. 

I am also using another app to motivate me. It is called Strava and it maps my route as well as gives me the distance I've covered, my pace and the time I've been training. I can post photos and there is an online community of people who can give me kudos. There are milestones I can sign up for and achievements for which I get a virtual medal.
Together with Spotify for music, I am all set. 
I feel lost if I am not able to run due to weather or some other factor. I have developed a healthy habit.

I want the same thing for my writing. I want an app that reminds me to write for 30 minutes every day, with breaks after 10 minutes of work, increasing my goal each week. I want an app that will track my word count and a community that gives me kudos for each page, scene, chapter I finish. I want assistance in developing the habit of writing and editing
.
I use Scribner to organize my manuscripts and there is a project as well as session target function that I can set up but that's not enough to get me into the habit of sitting down for a set time to write. I want a C25K/Strava combination for writers.

I have now set up a reminder on my calendar to work on one small part of the book each day: a specific, achievable goal and then set the timer for 10 minutes. At the moment, 10 minutes is all I can do, but plan on increasing it every week. I've approached a friend who is also a writer and with whom I hope to exchange our successes of words written and editing done. This plan has worked, but I prefer the verbal cues of the C25K rather than the beeps. So, I've recorded a similar voice message with encouragements and reminders and count down.

Coronavirus benefits the planet.

The year 2020 will be known for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic throughout the world. It was discovered first in China and then spread to Europe, the Middle East, and North America, soon followed by the rest of the planet.
Perhaps it is Mother Nature's attempt to save herself from human exploitation and damage. Already, by mid-March, pollution has decreased, especially in China. The water in the canals of Venice is crystal clear. Flights throughout the world have been reduced if not completely canceled - again a good thing for the environment. People are advised to stay at home. Some are quarantined. They work less, pay better attention to their health and spend more time with their loved ones. The economy suffers as we shop less, consume less, do less but as a minimalist, I see that as a good thing for the planet. The whole world is on the same side of this war against a common enemy, so wars against nations ease. I don't see a downside for Mother Nature.

Floating garden

Who says I can't have a garden on my boat?

Leave a legacy

After you've finished working and raising your children, comes longed for retirement. No more early morning commute, no more snarky boss. You can do whatever you choose. So, you sleep-in, spend the whole morning eating breakfast and reading the paper. Then perhaps go out, shop and meet friends for lunch. Afternoon nap takes care of an hour or three. Soon, the sun is going down and it's dinner time and then a bit of TV or a Netflix movie before sleep.

Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life?
Perhaps while it's a novelty, you do. Later, and if you have the extra means, you decide to travel or check off your bucket list. You catch up visiting family and friends. And then what? Perhaps you decide to sell your big house and buy a condo in a 50+ building. Reduce your footprint before you turn to dust. And then what? What will people remember about you? What will you leave behind?

If this is important, perhaps you need to think about leaving a legacy. Not just money that's left after you're done with your bucket list and after you've sold your house and given away the extra furniture you no longer need. By legacy, I mean something more.

When I think of my ancestors, I am disappointed at the legacy they left. My grandfather on my mother's side, left a small house and garden in the country when he died of lung cancer. His first wife died young in the war. His second wife raised children. I don't know anything else about them - my mother rarely spoke of that time.

My grandfather on my father's side died in a concentration camp for his involvement in the Polish rebellion. My grandmother lived a quiet life and besides some hand made dried flower pictures, didn't leave much. What the war didn't destroy, she left behind when she moved to Canada with my parents. In Canada, she helped my aunt with housework and watched T.V. in the evenings.

My parents similarly didn't leave much. My mother, a few knit sweaters (she was a wonderful knitter) and my father a book of quotes that he gathered and that was full of hate and anger at the world. My sister and I threw it out as soon as he passed on. They left a condominium and some furniture behind but nothing really meaningful that changed the world in some way. Sad.

On the other hand, I look at the world and people I admire and wonder what some of them had contributed. Politicians, philanthropists, business people, doctors, judges, movie stars, sporting heroes. Some of those contributions had a negative impact on the world as well as a positive one: Einstein for example, who invented the atom bomb. Or Marie Curie-Sklodowska who studied radium. Or Nobel who invented dynamite.

So, is it better to live quietly and go gently into the night leaving as little as possible behind? Or is it better to go out with a bang and change the world, be remembered, have a statue built or a monument to remind the world of your passing through this world?

And what is worthy of leaving behind? A tree planted? A Mona Lisa? A musical score of Joy to the world? War and Peace? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Do not go gently into the night,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And leave something behind.

Whatever you love to do, do it well and pass it on. If you are a good cook, leave a book of your recipes. If you are handy with tools, leave a birdhouse or a coffee table you have built. If you are a knitter, give away scarves and hats and write down the patterns.

And so, as I fill in the blanks in my daily journal that sits open on the table, daily thicker on the left and thinner on the right, I ponder how I can contribute in a meaningful way knowing by now that I am no Leonardo, Beethoven or Tolstoy. Through my writing, I hope to inspire others to also stretch their imagination and do something, anything well.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you lived and lived well." -  Did I contribute something meaningful? How can I use my gifts and talents and the things I love to do, to improve the world and lives of others?

Leave a legacy.