Visit any
sailing blog and you will find a post about the division of labor of a sailing
couple: pink for women’s jobs, blue for men’s.
I have always disliked these posts since no job on a boat is either pink
or blue when both partners take responsibility for running the boat. As a rule, each partner must be able to
manage every task on the boat, alone if necessary. (Not
sayin’ it has to be pretty…)
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| Mareda tied up in her winter berth in La Linea de la Conception, Spain, just across from Gibraltar. That big hotel in the background, we have just learned, hosts the marina's web-cam (see next photo!) |
Patrick and
I divide tasks based on affinity for the job.
Patrick is stronger than I am, so he hoists the mainsail 99% of the time
and is usually up front when it comes time to set the anchor (where the
windlass does most of the work, but you never know when you might hit a
snag.) Patrick is taller than I am, so
he is usually the one that tucks the mainsail into the lazybag. But Patrick has a bad ankle after 2
surgeries, so I’m the one who jumps (er,
um.. steps lightly) off the boat to tie her up when we come into port. Because I enjoy these tasks more than he does,
I’m in charge of the navigation strategy and sail trimming, and because I’m
lighter and have no fear of heights, I’m the one who climbs the mast when
needed.
But none of
this matters. Every couple will organize
their tasks as they see fit. The problem
comes when we think that “equal” means “same”. For example, I know now that I can tackle any
job on the boat alone. But I have been
forced to accept that I cannot do things the way someone bigger or stronger
would. This sounds obvious, right? This is where my cautionary tale begins.
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| Mareda, seen this morning, via web-cam. How cool is that? |
The good
news first. I have developed carpal
tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis, resulting in the loss of normal use of two
fingers. Huh? Good news? Yes, indeed.
The first diagnosis of my problem was Rheumatoid Arthritis, an incurable
degenerative disease where the go-to treatment is “mild” chemotherapy. My aunt died last week of complications from
her 16-year battle with RA and the side effects of the immune-system-suppressing
drugs meant to stabilize it. Osteoarthritis
is the good old fashioned wear-and-tear variety where the treatment involves
resting the afflicted area and anti-inflammatory drugs when needed for pain. My rheumatologist says I may never have another
flare up and don’t need treatment beyond a little pain killer
now and then. But nothing can bring back
those two fingers and the others are sending me warning signals to take it
easy.
I have
always prided myself on my physical force and being able to sail the way most of
my male friends sail. When I crew for
others, they tell me they don’t notice that I’m a woman (um… thanks?). I’m now paying
the price for that short-lived thrill of feeling equal to anyone on the water. Without really knowing or accepting it, I
have been doing irreparable damage to my hands all these years by ignoring the
warning signs and letting my pride and the adrenaline of the moment blind my
reason.
This isn’t
necessarily a pink problem. As we get
older, pinks and blues are both faced with having to accept new limitations, to
back off a notch, to graciously accept help when it’s offered, to take things
slower, to use the winch instead of bare hands, to re-position the boat in its
slip using the motor rather than trying to tug and shove 7 tons into place, to
take 3 days instead of 1 to clean the hull.
If anything, this back step is probably easier to accept for pinks than
it is for blues. It takes a certain
courage to accept this notion of slowing down as wisdom when it feels like a
loss. As the tee-shirt and coffee-mug philosophy
says: “Old Age: No Place for Wimps.”
At 48, I can
reasonably argue that I have reached middle age. When I think back on all that I’ve
experienced and accomplished in the first half, it makes my head spin to think
of the possibilities for the next half.
Sure, the next half will necessarily be slower and gentler, but that’s
an insignificant price to pay for the potential wonders that life still has in
store for me. So if you see me out on
the boat winching where others use their hands, stepping lightly, or asking for
help, please don’t feel sorry or embarrassed for me. I’ve got bigger fish to fry and I’m pacing
myself.
