This morning when I woke up I got a flash back to our family’s journey in South Florida a little over two years ago. So I thought I’d write something on it.
It was a warm and sunny Saturday morning. Having lived in eastern Canada all my life, I can tell you that you don’t hear “warm” and “January” used in the same sentence very often. With temperatures usually near -40 degrees Celsius in the winter months-and even lower after the wind-chill-I was thankful for the break.
Escaping the cold Canadian winters like we had done every year lately, my wife and I traveled south for a few months. A quick three hour flight to the sun shine of the Inter-coastal waters of Fort Lauderdale, Florida coincided with our 8-month old daughter Caelyn’s nap time. We rented a vacation home and found a boat for a little morning adventure on those gorgeous Inter-coastal waters.
Checking out the scenery, we got to know the neighborhood a little better and tried to meet some of the inhabitants who walked the streets of the city known as the Venice of America.
It was a day I’ll never forget, certainly one I didn’t expect.
We weren’t 30 seconds into our journey when I saw her, stunning and radiant in the easy winter sun. She couldn’t have been more than one year old, and a beauty she was. Her name was Mangusta. At over 109 feet in length and 23 feet in width, she was more than just a boat; she was an exquisite luxury yacht. As we cruised by I stared endlessly at the 181 tons of pure brilliance resting quietly on the calm waters anchored to our neighbor’s dock. I can still smell the fresh paint from the fifteen million dollar beauty as we passed her by.
I didn’t have time to catch my breath when another splendor caught my eye. This time a 108 foot Sunseeker. Right beside it was a Technomarine, then a Lazzara; an endless line of elegance, status, and luxury. Was this ever going to stop? One after another these luxurious yachts hugged the shores of Inter-coastal waters like the crowded shoulders of a small city sandwiched shoulder to shoulder on the side of the street to watch a parade pass by.
The only difference was there was no parade passing by our breathless watching. In fact, with the exception of a few boats slowly trolling the waters, all these magnificently crafted water wonders lay lifeless.
There was nobody on them.
I began to look in the extravagant backyards of the mansions that docked these glorious yachts. With the exception of the few workers braving the warm breeze doing maintenance and construction there was nobody to be found. No kids playing outside; no grills alive with barbecues; no one just relaxing, enjoying the beauty of the day.
Something was missing. That something was life.
This is a great reminder to me to not get so caught up in the busyness of life and forget to savor the moment.
Any stories you may have would love to hear them.
(Photo: thepodger)
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Category: The Ultimate Life
