Like a ship. Sailing through the waters of their life, looking for wind for their sails, looking for ballast, cargo, and crew to get them where they are going. The world is full of ships, all passing each other, working together, or battling it out and descending into piracy. Most small relation-ships just trying to find calm waters, reliable ‘crew mates’, and a worthy destination, understanding that cooperation, fairness and consistency make for a steadier ship and a better journey.

My article Rocking the Boat has already likened people to boats, and this one just goes a bit further. We seem to have a large battle ship stealthily making it’s way through the ocean of society, the government. Randomly firing at people’s boats, drowning some, maiming others, and then waving a white flag to show they are ‘friendly’. But once they have boarded your ship, or roped you onto theirs, the intent changes somewhat and you end up being part of their set up. We also have the scaled down version occurring at the same time, with smaller ships patrolling the waters, looking for outcasts, loners, drifters and anyone who appears to be out of their depth.

Not so they can help them, or save them, but to pretend to offer them sanctuary for a more personal purpose and need. Just as we catch a great number of fish in a net to be food or materials, the same method seems to apply to people but as a different commodity, although there is speculation that some of those ‘caught’ in the current net of society do indeed, end up as food. But those narciships that are also sailing through, weaving their way through almost undetected, do very well to mimic the other normal boats and ships for a time. But once you are on board, it’s revealed to be more like that pirate ship mentioned before, with a demented captain looking for crew, ballast and a need to consume or drain whatever sets foot on deck. Then looking for other ships to destroy, and not caring if it all sinks and takes everyone with it.

And that is why it really does seem to be rather an important skill to learn genuine cooperation, to really know what it is and means. How much easier things can be when you work together, ‘two minds are better than one’, ‘more hands make light work’ and other sayings like that where it reveals the benefit of it ideally being for all parties involved. So, as you sail through your life, and the sometimes calm and sometimes choppy waters, there are many different types of vessels you will meet and pass. And just as ships used to have flags flying high for identification, we do have similar in people, showing their allegiances and intentions now and again by way of the same, flags, clothes, colours and loyalty to a captain. Showing they do not steer their own vessel, but more have been roped onto someone else’s and are being ‘dragged along for the ride’. Which appears to be easily done, as there is no shortage of opportunists and recruiters for their own cause. Because when it comes to commanding your own life, it is quite a responsibility. Knowingly taking charge of your own ship, throwing all mutineers and usurpers overboard, accepting what is necessary and standing up to do what needs to be done…

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” ~ William Ernest Henley

(c) MKW Publishing