I found this video of the USCGC Eagle, the other day while I was looking around the web in preparation of the upcoming Tall Ship event in Duluth later this summer. I really wish I would have known about this ship about 25 years ago, I may have joined the Coast Guard rather than the Army. Although, at that time in my life, I wanted to be a Rambo type, so maybe not. Sure would have been fun to be on that ship though, and probably would have learned more useful skills too. Knowing many different ways to kill people just isn’t all that useful in everyday life. Knowing how to sail on a 295 foot cutter would though, at least for what I like to do now.
So here I go, off to wonder what my life would have been like had I chosen a different path. I’m never too sure that is really a constructive path. It’s not like I’m not dissatisfied with where I ended up, but I do wonder none the less. Sure, we all would have made different choices had we known what we know now, but we didn’t, so we make our way the best we can. And if I would have made different choices then I would not have the people in my life I do now, and I would dearly miss them. I guess the nice thing is that in a time of reflection we can choose how we will spend the rest of our short time on stage and make new choices accordingly.
One thing I did not know till today is that this ship was acquired from the Germans in 1946 as war reparations.
I know, blah, blah, blah, where’s the damn video!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdFCGqZVYUg