Freedom With Content, Part I

A boat at dock is safe, but that's not what boats are built for.

Boats are built for sailing.

This is a dinghy-scale version of a phrase that I have seen and heard in several places. It has been growing on me as a partial reply to my earlier post, Freedom Without Content. After taking the bar, I realized that my perspective at the time of writing the prior post was greatly affected by the fact that my substantive freedom was yet inchoate. It was as if I got into my boat still strapped to its lift, looked around, and declared it stupid.  My boat was safe, but that's not what boats are for. My boat is for sailing, and I knew then that I wasn't sailing.

The joy of freedom, like the joy of sailing, is about process and movement. It's about choosing objectives and finding ways to get there. It's about careful preparation, followed by constant adjustment for conditions. It's about looking back to learn from the boat's reactions, and looking ahead to see what's coming next. My boat is a good boat; it's fundamentally sound. Within its structure I can set the base of the mast at different points; I can pin the shroud at different tensions; I can choose my sails. So I have. Once I'm moving, I can set the daggerboard depth, tension or relax the main sail in four different ways and the jib in two, set the angles of my sails, and steer myself wherever I desire. Getting to the other side of the lake is not the fun part. That's almost an annoyance. The joy of sailing comes from loving your crew, and from applying your understanding to turn a clever system of tension and compression into motion, to maneuver around obstacles, and to devour your french toast on the run. True story. That seems pretty much identical to the joy of freedom. What further content is needed? (but see Part II, forthcoming) There is always more to be done; do it with your might.

On the lift, there is only hidden, unknown potential. A practical nullity. On the water, in even the slightest breeze, the pregnant sails give birth to effortless motion. Fly your sails and be free.