Does a tree falling in the forest make noise if no one is there to hear it? This is a question that is both simple and complex to answer, but I have different perspective to throw in there, Yes, it does. I say yes, because today while sitting on the stern of my boat and sipping coffee, watching nature come to life in the early morning, I first heard the crack of wood breaking, then the noise of something falling through the foliage and finally the crash of a tree hitting the forest floor. I can say yes, because I wasn't in the forest but observing it from across the small waterway that surrounds the marina.
What the tree falling has to do with serenity is a simple answer: Sitting this morning watching the birds rustling in the bushes, fish jumping in the water, and waterbirds diving for unseen fish, I realized that the choice Martina and I made to retire on a boat and our quest for serenity is the right choice for us. It was a serene setting and it gave me a good feeling. A feeling that people should take more time to just sit and listen and observe nature and see the beauty that is all around us.
We should not consider ourselves the masters of this planet but rather the stewards of nature. Serenity to me is coexisting with our surroundings and making the smallest impact on it. Sailing can take me across the ocean with only the wind to propel me: no pollution and no waste. Some people complain that sailboats are too slow, but isn't that the point? To embrace the journey? Slow down, observe the world around you, and you may see things in a way you never had before and come away with a greater understanding of our world and how we fit in it.
I want to sip my coffee every morning is a new destination, a new island, or a new continent and observe not only nature but human culture and history.
