“As for myself, the wonderful sea charmed me from the first”

“As for myself, the wonderful sea charmed me from the first”

Sailing Alone Around the World ~ Captain Joshua Slocum

As a young person, back in the 60’s and 70’s I felt that something was wrong with the world I lived in. The threat of nuclear annihilation, hypocrisy in religion, dysfunctional families, toxic chemicals in our food and the collision course with nature created by our materialistic world view, the signs were abundant that we, as a society, needed to make some changes quickly. Although I could clearly see what wasn’t working, and what I did not want to participate in all around me, I did not know what could work and how I could make a difference.

This desire to understand what to do lead me to a spiritual crisis over the course of several years of my young life which ultimately became a spiritual transformation. The transformation took the form of much needed clarity about life and my relationship to all that is. Still, it did not answer the question of what to do with my life. At it’s core, my question was how, exactly, to live here on this beautiful planet in a way that was full of the values that I had developed over the course of my transformation; to be able to live as much as practicable in harmony with nature, in a way that suited me personally and added goodness to the world rather than more of the status quo.

“A wooden boat is alive!” ~ Robert Prothero, Master Shipwright

As a child I had always loved the beach and the ocean but did not understand how significant a role it would play in my life until about age 22. I had learned that “following the crumbs” or clues that life provides for our benefit was a great benefit during the time of my transformation and after moving to Whidbey Island experienced an “ah ha” moment while reading a book about sailing. I instantly knew that wooden boats and sailing would become a major part of my life and immediately started making plans and taking action to create this dream.

There is something special to be sure, about a wooden boat. The energy that is put into the construction, the craftsmanship, the elegance, the relationship between the the boat and its environment and still something more. Wooden boats were built during a time when beauty was an active consideration in the mind and heart of the designer and builder.

“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”  

Wind in the Willows ~ Kenneth Graham

After many decades of “messing about in boats,” I now see the power of this simple relationship to heal; it is inherent in the relationship of humans and the ocean. Even after all this time I am amazed at the power of this primordial relationship to ignite other dreams. To inspire young people especially to validate their heart’s desires, and to mold their own life into a story that is more in alignment with their souls’ pathway. I am also humbled by the power of this relationship to heal.

Meredith Project is here to bring an opportunity to heal, to grow and to be inspired to deeper understandings of self and life through the power of nature and especially the power of the ocean.