Normally waiting is not one of my favorite pass times because idle time often feels like wasted time. Living on a boat for several months each year has taught me to make peace with the necessity of waiting. This year our boating season began with a large dose of waiting. We had ordered a new tender, one that was a bit more seaworthy with an aluminum hull and 40 horsepower engine, but unfortunately it did not arrive at the anticipated May 1 delivery date. In fact, it would be eleven more days before it was launched in Cap Sante Marina where we were docked. Waiting seemed to be a lesson in patience and flexibility, particularly with my well-planned schedule.

What I notice is that when I resist the reality of my situation I get myself all worked up inside, frustrated that events are not going according to my plan. Thankfully, I am not the only one having to wait on the dock and this is somehow reassuring. Pam and Oliver, owners of a new 28 foot Ranger tug boat with a deep blue hull, have been waiting several days for a mechanic to show up to make adjustments to their engine. Walking down the dock towards the marina office to extend our stay one more day I notice an engine hatch is open on their boat and see the back of a yellow baseball cap atop the hunched mechanic’s head. By the time I return later in the day the slip is empty, a hopeful sign that waiting does eventually come to an end. So when I notice my angst begin to well up again when I hear about another delay I catch myself and decide to accept the fact I’ll be spending another day in Anacortes, which is actually quite a charming place to be “stuck.” I play a little mind game and ask myself what fun thing I’d like to do, shifting my perspective towards the possibilities for the day instead of focusing on what is not happening.

I have heard it said that a change of attitude is of boundless help in terms of feeling contented with life. Waiting has given me the opportunity to practice this philosophy more than I might like. In fact, as the days kept passing with no tender in sight, I began to see the humor in my indignation, frustration and irritation about the circumstance – as if any of these emotions had any impact on the outcome. All they do is make me edgy and disagreeable. With my schedule busted, I also became curious about what the day might bring and a little less attached to my plans and agendas. I ended up walking a lot, to Ace Hardware for hangers, to Safeway for produce, to Penguin’s Coffee shop for a good internet connection and peach iced tea, or to our storage locker for additional supplies. I read Wagner’s boating guide to get inspired about new places we might explore along the western coast of Canada and I settled into the idea that time has it’s own schedule that doesn’t always align with mine.