Tacking

I’m using a sailing term today to express what I feel.  Tacking is trimming your sail to turn into the wind.

Now, I’ve never been a skipper who has commanded her own craft, but I am the captain of my life.  I would imagine that you must have much skill to know when to tack.  I’d prefer to always have the wind at my back because in life having the wind in your face isn’t the most pleasant of situations.

I use my intuition to turn into the wind, and sometimes it’s the most subtle of signs which make me take a new direction.  I probably ruminate on why far too long, but I wonder how one statement or lack thereof creates my sudden tack.  I’ve been in several situations where one word or conversation changes everything.  What if the person or persons had said something different or acted in a different manner?  Would I have pulled so hard on the tiller then?  Did I send myself further out to sea?

I’m still learning the water so I suppose ultimately it’s not just that one moment, but rather a culmination of observations I’ve made as I maneuver my way around.  Still I wonder if I made a mistake tacking too early more than once.  I still have no direction or shore in sight, but hopefully my sailing skills will improve with time.  I only hope that I don’t wreck on a reef before finding a sandy beach where I can rest.

Being the captain of my own ship isn’t all that easy, but I do have to realize that it’s the winds of life that ultimately have control.  I just need to learn to tame them.