A short fiction story of life spent at sea

Danny took a seat again. He was getting old no doubt about it.

No longer one of the boys, he was the old boy aboard the ship. A life spent at sea meant some days he felt old as well.

Being the old boy has its benefits though, a chance to pass on experience and wisdom. It’s also a chance to take a life a bit easier and let the young boys take up the slack.

Life has been good, sure I have made mistakes and have some regrets. But I would do it all over again. Thought Danny as he sat on watch on the bridge that sunny afternoon.

An eight-hour workday and four hours on a watch is a typical shift length for a deckhand like Danny. Then it’s off to bed for eight hours.

The older you get the smarter you work and so it was for Danny. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor as the saying goes. Experience and knowledge are like compound interest. It builds up over time.

Knowing all the tricks and tips to make life easier is one of the joys of age.

Danny, after all, was only 18 with 42 years of experience.

Life is what we make it, smooth seas never make a skilled sailor. It’s the challenges and bumps in the road, that we learn from.

Without that life would be boring. We would have few opportunities to learn and life would not be so enjoyable.

Life is meant to be a blast, learn, live fast, and have fun while it lasts.