[Critique Group 1] pieces due tomorrow

[Leonard Tuchyner]

Hi group 1,

reminder that submissions are due  tomorrow. Mine is below

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Affinity for Sailing 

 

Sailing has always been extremely important to me. I have norational explanation for my affinity for sailing. I had never been around real-lifesailboats in my early life, yet the first instance that I saw a little toysailboat in a neighborhood toy store window, I knew I had to have it.

I don’t remember how old I was, but it was before I wasallowed to cross the street by myself, so I  reckon it had to be around the corner, where the toy store was. I don’trecall whether I had been going to kindergarten yet, but I had to be veryyoung.

My parents were entertaining at the time, and I was free to roamthrough the neighborhood, as long as I remained on the block. In those dayskids were a lot freer to explore than they are today, when parents have tocontend with all manners of adult misbehavior directed at children. Anyway,there was the toy sailboat, and I knew it had to be mine. 

I wasn’t a spoiled child, so what I was about to do wascertainly out of character. After being enthralled by the sailboat, I rushedhome immediately and broke into the grownup conversation and demanded that myparents buy me the boat.

They were amused by my impudence. What choice did they have,except to be amused? They were, after all, entertaining. They didn’t want tohave to discipline me in front of their company. Don’t think I didn’t have thatin mind before I entered into my demands. They tried to put me off goodnaturedly, but I wasn’t having any of it. After a while, I went away. But I wasback, still demanding. They succeeded in putting me off again, but I was rightback making a scene. The third time was the charm. They said they would considerbuying the little wooden sailboat for me. 

I knew the stakes were high when I began this offensive. Itwas more than possible that it would end in a spanking, as well as some kind ofput down. However, I knew I had to have the sailing vessel. I had no choice. Myreckless behavior and ridiculous demands were met. My father went with me tothe store and bought it. I couldn’t wait to put it in water. 

We went to the city park which was within walking distance,where a sailing pond existed. The pond was surrounded by an oblong concretewall which contained about two feet of water. The pond was rather large from mylittle boy perspective. It had a model boat house on one end. The pond seemedalways to have model boat fanciers in attendance, sailing their elaboratevessels. They were indeed elaborate. They were hand made and true to scale oflarger vessels. They were often a yard long with multiple sails and yardarms tosupport them. They were works of art. The sailors would set the sails andrudders and let the wind take them, while they would run to the place on theside of the pond that they anticipated their models would land, and gently usetheir hands to prevent them from crashing into the side.

My little boat, which was a shaped block of wood and one bigsail, was puny and plain looking. It did have a small keel, and that told me itwas in the same class, somehow. But my dad insisted on attaching a string tokeep it from running too far away. With high excitement, I put it in the waterwhere a slight breeze pushed it over on its side, where it remained like a fishgone belly up. I was devastated. I stood there desolately peering at my failedenterprise.

My father, who was equally surprised, told me not to worry.He would fix the problem. We went back home where he went to work on thedifficulty. The cure consisted of iron weights wired to the keel, designed toact as a counterweight and keep the boat standing in the water, rather thanlying down like a dead fish.

We went back to the sailing pond, and voila, it worked. Evenin a strong breeze which might knock it flat, the boat would right itself andcontinue on its hapless journey.

That little toy sailboat saw a lot of sea knots pass beforeI outgrew it. However, it was not a real boat, and I longed for one. It was notuntil I was 21 years old that the need for a life-sized sailboat was fulfilled.

 

(To be continued)

 

 




 
 
Leonard I. Tuchyner, Author
 
https://www.dldbooks.com/tuchyner/

 
  
 
 

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