has sailing compromised your career prospects - or maybe enhanced them?

[FairweatherDave]

Great thread. My own take on this is about addiction. I'm sure it applies to many, even most, here. I had an epiphany when researching about addiction for a Masters. I recognised my addiction to windsurfing (read sailing) in the early 90's. Unchecked drug/alcohol addiction ultimately leads to death/hospital or prison ( a basic tennet of the Alcoholics Anonymous model). Aged 30 similarly I could see that the massive pull of windsurfing was messing up my "employment" and relationship,young family etc. In drug/alcohol addiction theory the solution was either abstinence (again the AA model), or "Controlled addiction" ie recognising you had an addiction and the problems it causes but continuing in moderation and vigilant to danger signs that the behaviour was out of control. Better solution! Since then I have got my windsurfing and sailing relatively under control....... I always want to do more but know it would destroy the other things I value. I try and keep things in balance but always have the addicts craving for more adventure. The micro-adventures are the release valve. Knowing I am an addict helps me control it. The punch-line to the thread is I have no "career". I'm a househusband because my wife has a good job she loves (most of the time) and we have four children, two with special needs. So I created my own career at home and squeeze as much sailing and windsurfing as possible, but it is about balance, being a controlled addict. There. If I had not had children then maybe a very different story. If....

 

[Caol Ila]

As others have said, the career has compromised the sailing rather than vice versa. As an accountant working for a company with a summer financial year end, sailing has always taken second place to the needs of the job over the summer months. This year, as a 40th birthday present to myself, I decided to pack it all in and head off on a solo circumnavigation of Britain.

Not the most original, I'll grant you but with departure day being less that two weeks away, and work being a similar number of weeks behind, I'm starting to question my sanity! Can't wait to get underway though.

I do think the skills learnt on this trip will enhance my career prospects rather than detract, if I decide to go back to it. And if not then who knows what opportunities will present themselves as a result.

 

[dylanwinter]

Great thread. My own take on this is about addiction. I'm sure it applies to many, even most, here. I had an epiphany when researching about addiction for a Masters. I recognised my addiction to windsurfing (read sailing) in the early 90's. Unchecked drug/alcohol addiction ultimately leads to death/hospital or prison ( a basic tennet of the Alcoholics Anonymous model). Aged 30 similarly I could see that the massive pull of windsurfing was messing up my "employment" and relationship,young family etc. In drug/alcohol addiction theory the solution was either abstinence (again the AA model), or "Controlled addiction" ie recognising you had an addiction and the problems it causes but continuing in moderation and vigilant to danger signs that the behaviour was out of control. Better solution! Since then I have got my windsurfing and sailing relatively under control....... I always want to do more but know it would destroy the other things I value. I try and keep things in balance but always have the addicts craving for more adventure. The micro-adventures are the release valve. Knowing I am an addict helps me control it. The punch-line to the thread is I have no "career". I'm a househusband because my wife has a good job she loves (most of the time) and we have four children, two with special needs. So I created my own career at home and squeeze as much sailing and windsurfing as possible, but it is about balance, being a controlled addict. There. If I had not had children then maybe a very different story. If....

oh cripes

I knew that:

I really, really like sailing

I spend more on sailing than I can really afford

it is often bad for my health - aching hands, chilblanes, burnt skin

I feel bad when I don't do it

and it has been bad for my career

aaaaaagh!

I am an addict

 

[FairweatherDave]

Exactly!
Trouble is the model only goes so far. Being a controlled addict only goes so far..... its a bit boring. Two of my favourite films of yours are the ones with the lightning pinging around Mersea and the ice brushing the side of the Slug at Rye. Adrenalin and obvious addiction!!. Helps us get our buzz via proxy. Charles Stock. Great sailor, mile muncher. The controlled addict, not a description on the face of it that sounds attractive, but he combined his sailing with his job down to the finest degree. As do you Dylan. We are all addicts. ........ some just have better jobs than others... and some are freer or better able to indulge their addiction without coming to harm.