“At Sea” days are probably my favorite days on a cruise.
No ports. No pressure. No itinerary items I didn’t choose.
Just miles of open water and a chance to slow down long enough to hear myself think.
This morning, I grabbed breakfast, wandered into an empty bar, and claimed a quiet corner with my laptop. The ship hums around me, my fellow cruisers waking up and figuring out what they want to do today. The ocean stretches. And somewhere between the two, my brain starts sorting through the usual mess of thoughts. Good stuff. Bad stuff. And the ugh-ly stuff that insists on tagging along whether I invited it or not.
Including the little post I felt compelled to make on Notes yesterday.
Maybe I’m asking for too much, but I expect adults to act like adults. I’m not lowering my standards just because some asshat can’t read the room.
I don’t think I’m asking for too much. Be kind or kindly fuck off. And if that’s too much for some people, oh well. We don’t have to agree on everything, but being disagreeable or hateful doesn’t work for me. No exceptions.
Apparently, “basic decency” and “common sense” are “hot takes” in some corners of the internet. Corners I’m avoiding like the toxic plague that they are. I don’t love giving oxygen to asshats, but I also don’t want to risk their bad behavior becoming normalized. It’s not normal. I refuse to pretend it is. And I’m definitely not interested in lowering my standards just to make bad actors feel more comfortable.
Anyway.
That’s the ugh-ly.
Back to the good stuff.
The food on this cruise so far is ridiculous. In the best possible way. The people I’ve met so far are even better. There’s something about being on a cruise that makes small talk easier and conversations deeper faster. Maybe it’s the shared experience. Maybe it’s the subtle understanding that we’re all temporarily untethered from our regular lives. Whatever it is, I’ve already met a handful of genuinely lovely humans, and I have a feeling that list is about to grow.
Today’s lineup is stacked in a low-key, choose-your-own-adventure kind of way. A few enrichment talks that may or may not make me smarter. A fancy dinner that will definitely make me fuller. And later tonight, a PRIDE meetup with other LGBTQ folks on board.
That part I’m especially looking forward to.
On my last cruise, a couple of strangers turned into fast friends over shared stories, side-eyes, and that instant recognition of “oh, you get it.” I’m hoping lightning strikes twice. Or at least flickers a little.
But even if it doesn’t, I’m good.
Because right now, writing in this quiet bar, the ocean rocking this mid-size ship, I feel something I don’t always allow myself enough of: Space.
Space to think.
Space to feel.
Space to reset the compass a bit.
No rushing. No fixing. No forcing anything into place.
Just cruising along…at the speed of water.
Keep calm and float on!
Clint 🌈✌️
P.S. For those who partake, Happy 420 Day! Have an edible for me. 🌿🥳
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
04-20 = George Takei (1937- ) = American actor, author, and activist 🌈
04-20 = Henry de Montherlant (1895-1972) = French essayist and novelist 🌈
04-20 = Luther Vandross (1951-2005) = American singer-songwriter 🌈
04-20 = Toller Cranston (1949-2015) = Canadian figure skater and artist 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“Our democracy is dependent on people who passionately cherish the ideals of a democracy. Every man is created equal with an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s a wonderful idea, and it takes people who cherish that idea to be actively involved in the process.”
George Takei
I tend to see most people as wounded or damaged children (I can see my own wounded Inner Children, too, and I see how many of them have grown stronger and healthier since childhood). The parenthesis applies to others as well as myself. Unfortunately, many people have not healed enough or grown much since their early years.
Most of my life has been dedicated to helping people to heal and grow. In order to avoid being overwhelmed, I have tended to isolate myself when not "at work". I have learnt ways to tone down my intuition, empathy and my psychic sensitivity. To insulate myself.
This often means that I do not want to be around people. I switch off. When I was working as a therapist, I would spend holidays not speaking to anyone - except for ordering a meal, a drink, "where is..?", "Nice weather", "Hello/Goodbye" and "thank you".
I think that I couild enjoy a cruise nowadays. I could be sociable, as long as I could avoid people who were sucking me dry with their childlike needs. Similarly, with internet media. I very rarely make a comment and I have chosen to ignore those hurting and hurtful kids that want to be angry that I do not kiss their grazed knees better. Largely because I can't kiss them better because they always pick at their scabs to make them bleed again.
Now Brian as you know my brother and SIL enjoy their cruising life, either on their own or with assorted family and friends tagging along. Now, me, I'm too anti social to share my space/Ivory Floating Tower and especially at sea where you can't escape the huddled masses 🤨 (but secretly probably could try it once in my life-after all I'm a Gemini) Bro always find a hide away spot when SIL is wanting answers 😁 Cheers DougT🏴 🇬🇧