Fellow Travelers

Today, I connected with fellow travelers.

Fellow Travelers Boarding the Plane at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

I that interaction with my fellow travelers is something that I really try to avoid, and I'm not really sure why I take that particular approach. Today, on the first flight leg, that proved to be impossible because one of the guys in my row enthusiastically exhibited his clearly extroverted tendencies and engaged the whole row in what turned out to be a relatively jolly and wide ranging discussion that covered topics of work and golf interspersed with oblique references to love-making. All this occurred while hurtling through the higher levels of the troposphere at a little over 400 knots.  In spite of my initial skepticism, the boisterous banter helped pass the time and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Crawling out of the ashes of my first career over the last two days had left me in a place where I really needed that kind of fun-filled diversion from the slow smolder I'd allowed myself to stoke in my head. When I let it, the universe has a way of delivering just what I need at just the right time.

Before I left for the trip south, I attended to the daily practice of minimalism and parted ways with ten pair of worn out socks and five shirts. You're probably thinking, "Who the hell keeps ten pairs of worn out socks?"

Minimalism Day 15

This guy.

Today was a good day where the physical and mental baggage that I've managed to collect in the past (even the recent past) got a little bit lighter. I never would have thought that getting rid of material possessions would help me cope a little better with setbacks that aren't directly related to having too much shit in my closet that I don't need, but I believe that the last two weeks of moving on from my material past has had just that effect.

The practice of deliberately walking forward from material things that meant something to me at one time but have outlived their utility has led to a subtle shift in my mindset. I understand just a little bit better that I'm not so closely defined by the things or events or any number of outside circumstances that the universe puts in my path.  I truly believe that just two weeks of this practice positioned me better to cope with some disappointing, though not necessarily surprising circumstances.

People ask me how I'm doing, and I can honestly answer that I doing real well. Being able to say that and feel it has proven to be a great relief.

We'll see what tomorrow has in store, and I'm looking forward to whatever may come. It will be an adventure to say the least.

Letting Things Go

Days like today serve to remind me of the power of a positive daily practice. I believe I've handled being passed over for a promotion about as well as anyone could have expected. I went to work and tackled the things that needed to be accomplished. In terms of productivity, it's one of the most successful days I've had in quite awhile.  Some of that productivity can be attributed to putting my emotions into accomplishing things that needed to be done, some due to looming deadlines, and some due to a stubborn streak that just about refuses to let circumstances that have been out of my hands for some time deine my reaction to life.

Part of the resilience that I feel can also be chalked up to getting into a daily practice.  As has been my habit over the last several months, I wandered down to the USS Barry and captured some pictures on what will probably be the last day the she and I are together at the Washington Navy Yard.

Morning on The Anacostia - Walking up on the USS Barry

The Barry will likely be gone once I return from the trip that I'm embarking on tomorrow. It's a bit hard to believe that today was the last day that she'll be the centerpiece of some of my favorite photos that I've taken over the course of the last sixteen months.

USS Barry - Readying for the Next Step of the Journey

Her presence in the Navy Yard has lasted for over three decades, and I remember first seeing her in the summer of 1992 on a college trip to see The Navy Summer Pageant. I'm not sure when this tradition stopped, but it has not been performed since at least 2004. The only reference I could find to it even existing is in a 1985 article from the New York Times covering parade activities in the summer in Washington, DC.

Anacostia Riverfront at the Washington Navy Yard with the USS Barry

This will probably be the last view of the USS Barry that I will have.  Like the tradition of the Navy Summer Pageant, it is time for the Barry to move on and make room for the next iteration of happenings in this little corner of the universe. Sadness and a sense of loss is tempting at times like these, but I'm reminded that change is happening around us all the time, and any sense of stability is merely a sometimes helpful illusion to help me better manage the constant adventurous churn that surrounds me in any given moment.

One of the comforts of routine, or a daily practice, is the power it has to bring this adventurous churn back into a sort of loose focus. Today, one of the changes that I made was getting rid of fifteen items of clothing that have outlived their utility in my closet.

Minimalism - Day 15

Out with the old to make room for the new. It puts the prospect of missing the promotion into perspective. The act and practice of letting go forces me to realize that though I'm feeling uncertain due to the missed promotion, this event is merely another transition in the series of transitions that will define every moment of my existence. A port in the storm, so to speak.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I never did and never will, but I'll be grateful for the opportunity to experience it and endeavor to see it without too much fear and doubt for the adventure that it truly represents.

Are They Roadblocks or Street Signs?

There was a time in my life that I blew past a number of red flags and paid them no heed whatsoever. Fortunately for me, the end result of ignoring those messages from the universe did not result in complete and utter disaster. It took far too long, but this sort of reckless behavior led me to a place where I've grown to have a deeper appreciation for the possibility that red flags or roadblocks put up by circumstances may not be exactly what they appear to be at first glance.

USS Barry - Fore and Aft Masts Removed

Though it's hard to let go of things, like the USS Barry a bit of minimisation might be just the thing for my ego. Once a thing has truly outlived its usefulness, taking some of the superfluous growth off the top might be characterized as a good start. In parallel with my efforts at material minimization, it appears there have been forces greater than myself at work trimming a bit of the excess ego that may have developed over the years.

Today, I received word via email, after the announcement had been plastered on social media, that I'd not been selected for a promotion. This development is a bit of a disappointment, but it really does not come as much of a surprise. I could point out the opinion that at least a couple of people who were chosen for a promotion over me might not be as capable of delivering results in my field of endeavor.  I might be tempted to point out that someone that I view as even more capable than I am, and widely recognized for his prowess, was also passed over this year. I've gone through those conversations in my mind, and I've decided that they don't really cover the fact of the matter.

The fact of the matter is that in assessing my future value to my current employer, a decision has been made that other people bring a more highly valued set of characteristics than I do at this time.  That's a tough thing to admit, and I believe this assessment may prove to be less than accurate, but the fact remains that this is what's happened.

Minimalism - Day 13 (minus one item that didn't make the photo)

Today I got rid of thirteen pieces of clothing. I came to own every single one of these shirts, shorts, sweaters, etc. because at the time I acquired them I perceived that there future value was higher than the present expense. Since I rid myself of these items, it's clear that the value calculation that I used in the past has changed, and that's alright. This shift in priorities feels a bit like what happened to me today with the promotion (or non-promotion, in my case) announcement today. My value hasn't really been diminished, but the organization I work for has made a very detailed and deliberate assessment and they've communicated to me that we have a bit of a disagreement on my value to them.

I'd like to say they are wrong, but that's a pretty tough case to make since the decision has been mulled over by their top minds and this is the conclusion they've drawn.  Perhaps they've made mistake, but perhaps this is one of those street signs that's been cleverly disguised as a roadblock. 

I go talk to the man who informed me (five hours after I'd heard the news already) via email. It may prove to be and interesting morning, and I'm really quite curious and excited to see how that set of events will unfold.

Roadblocks or Street Signs...I'm really not sure.

Contemplating Conciousness

Earlier this evening, I wondered a bit about the apparent magic that constitutes life and consciousness. It's not a new pondering for humans. My thoughts represent nothing particularly creative. I wondered if my body is merely the armor that surrounds and sustains a dream. We have science and religion, but I don't think that either of those areas of study really get to the heart of what it means to be alive. To experience this dream.

Is it a firing of electrons due to chemical reactions, or does it have a more supernatural origin. If life is a dream or imagination or work of art, what is behind any of these explanation of my individual experience of the world? I don't know.

I know that I feel grateful I can experience the unfolding of living and loss. I'm grateful I can bear witness to the ever present change that gives every appearance of progressing toward something that is greater than anything that has come before now. To understand both the sadness and the hope when familiar locations move through time and space and vanish as if they were never there in the first place.

USS Barry on the Anacostia - Aft Mast Removed

The slow transition of the Barry is an example of the relentless march of change. The hopes, dreams, work, angst, tears, joy, sunrises, sunsets, wind, calm, heat, cold, dark, and burning light that has passed over and through this great ship, this magnificent monument to the ingenuity and determination of humans is almost unfathomable. The ship gives the impression of solidity, but molecular science tells us that it's mostly empty space. With all that the ship has witnessed, she's slowing being undone by time and change.  Today, her aft mast had been removed in preparation for her last trip down the Potomac. The work was done by a crane that I last crossed paths with over ten years ago in another time, another place, another set of feelings. Venice, LA had been wrecked by Hurricane Katrina. Our group butted heads with the sheriff of  Plaquemines Parish. The crane moved the mangled shrimp boats out of the bayou and back to the river so folks could start rebuilding their lives. We worked and laughed and saw everyday the grim reminder of our powerlessness in the universe. We persisted, and things got a little better.

Today was the twelfth day of moving things out of my life that I no longer value in the same way that I once valued them.

Minimalism Day 12

Some clothes and some books that all meant something special to me at one time have suffered the same march of change that's happening to the USS Barry. These things have passed through me and with me in my travels in time and space. I carry the memories of the text in my dreams. The thoughts on the page continue to spark my imaginings of the future.

In the final accounting, I suspect that the best any of us can hope for is to bear witness to the wonder that is unfolding around us in every moment. These things were, at one time, a tangible part of that great unfolding, but for me those moments have passed.

Like the sailors who walked the decks of the Barry, time, tide, and formation have shifted. The young man in the gun came back and visited to see the place that had shaped his life a long time ago and a world away on the gunline off the coast of Vietnam or quarantine enforcement in the Caribbean Sea during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I'm not sure what change tomorrow may bring, but I hope to be ready for whatever the sunrise may reveal.

Whirlwind to Gentle Breeze

Today ended up being one of the more productive days that I've had since recovering from my foot injury.  Things started off well with a sunrise walk of just a little over four miles this morning.  The first meeting of the day wasn't until 0900 so I took advantage of the opportunity to usher in the day with the sun peaking up over the horizon.

Sunrise over the Salt Marsh - Little Creek, VA

I intended to head down to the beach to catch the sun peaking up over the horizon of the Chesapeake Bay, but when I stumbled across this pond in the salt marsh area short of the beach I stayed put to take advantage of the calm water. I admit, that the final result supported that decision.

Ducks headed into the Sunrise - Little Creek, VA

When I walked up on the pond, I flushed a blue heron and was not quick enough to catch the graceful glide out across the water. I did get to share the event with a pair of mallards and a fisherman (not pictured). The air had just a hint of chill that will soon be a fond memory as the late spring and summer unfold and the heat and humidity sit on the earth like a foggy elephant. For today, calm winds and cool temperatures collaborated to make this a perfect start to the morning.

Not to be outdone by nature's art, some enterprising soul decorated the fence at the swimming pool and waterpark in the area.

Chainlink Zoology - Little Creek, VA

These murals are exceptionally well done, and the very concept of different colored squares to be added to a chain link fence raise some interesting possibilities in my mind. This is the first time I've ever seen anything quite like this, and it's probably because I'm sheltered. After a little searching with Google, I concluded that these designs are a derivative of Put-In-Cups or something very much like them.  This is the only product of this kind that I found in the first couple of pages of search results, and one of the alligators on the site bears a striking resemblance to the one in the collage above.

Putting southern Virginia in my rearview mirror, I motored on back up to Washington, DC.  Another quick pedestrian jaunt found me eleven books lighter after dropping off my Christopher Moore collection (plus two additional books) at Riverby Books. I am growing increasingly comfortable with leaving behind monuments to the past and lightening my material burden going forward. I've also noticed that the practice has changed my reading habits (to a small degree), and I consider purchases more carefully than I have in the past. I believe that I've gone a week without purchasing anything but consumable items, and I even buy consumables with a much more deliberate approach.  It's still early in the experiment, but I value how my thought processes seem to have changed in a relatively short time. These guys hinted at how the simple act of shrinking my overabundant inventory of material possessions would change the way I experienced the world, but I never would have guessed that the impacts would start manifesting themselves so quickly. The journey feels good so far, and I'm looking forward to experience continuing change.

USS Barry - Towing Bridle (the chain on the starboard side of the ship) is now Rigged

Finally, I ambled past my old friend the USS Barry, and got a chance to speak to the supervisor in charge of preparing her departure in her final days at the Washington Navy Yard. The towing bridle was rigged today, and he told me that the masts were going to be removed to allow her to pass underneath the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac. There are a number of elements to the story he told that may be of interest in a future post. Apparently, the departure of the ship is raising a great deal of interest involving a number of admirals, local authorities, a series of "interesting" planning assumptions, support vessel trades and changes, money, good deals, chains, tugs, sediment, and henchmen. I'm going to keep all that to myself for now and see how things shake out. Like all towing and salvage stories, there's always something more than meets they eye.

After over seven miles of walking, two hundred miles of driving, a briefing and included forty people, offloading eleven books, and talking about towing one, sixty four year old ship, I've probably droned on enough for today. As the day wraps up, I'm forced to consider the possibility of new adventures and how they might spring from the shadows of the waxing darkness tomorrow morning.  Until they do.,,

Virginia is for Lovers...And Work

I find myself on the road again after a productive day of walking, travel, and minimalism. I headed south again, and based on all the signs along the way, I'm convince beyond a shadow of a doubt that Virginia fulfills the billing as being for Lovers.

Virginia is for Lovers

This sign at a rest area on I-64 represents one of many Loveworks installation pieces throughout the state that promote the notion that Virginia is for Lovers and offer scenic stops along the way to capture that feeling. The simple lines of this particular rendering appeal to my newfound asceticism (both deliberate and by circumstance). I even managed to find a donation center in VA to offload ten books today on the tenth day of my path to a greater feeling of freedom and minimalism.

Minimalism Day Ten

All of these books stayed with me for so long because they came to represent a part of my identity. There really is no explanation other than that. "Elementary Applied Partial Differential Equations" represented a very challenging and difficult phase, and if I never have to conduct a Laplace or Fourier Transform again, I probably won't shed too many tears. At any rate, it was good to lighten my load a little to make room for whatever the future may have in store.

On the way down to Virginia, I stopped off at the Washington Navy Yard to pick up some clothes and capture a shot or two of the USS Barry in her final days at the Navy Yard.  She's been there for three decades or so after having served the fleet ably, and I find a bit of nostalgia poking up through my normally tough and crusty exterior.  Today, it became clear that preparations for her departure in early May (currently, Saturday, 07 May 2016, 0600) are beginning in earnest.  The crane barge Columbia NY owned and operated by Donjon Marine, Inc. was moored beside the USS Barry along with two Donjon tugs.

USS Barry with Donjon Marine, Inc. Crane Barge Columbia NY

The last time I worked with Columbia was during recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita . We spent months pulling primarily shrimp and fishing boats and tank and deck barges out of the bayous of southern Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. A fairly comprehensive accounting can be found in the US Navy Salvage Report - Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (S0800-AC-RPT-010). A picture of Columbia NY refloating shrimping vessels in Venice, LA can be found on page 4-3 of the report. Nostalgia ruled a good hour of the day. 

It's a bit sad to know that this river view will undergo a major change in the coming weeks, and I share history with the equipment and company that will play a role in that change.

Anacostia Afternoon with USS Barry and Columbia NY

Change is inevitable, I suppose, and moving out old possessions to make room for new possibilities seems to be a thematic element for my life this spring. It will be interesting to see how the universe conspires to shape the unfolding, but until it does, I'm looking forward to what dawn may bring tomorrow.