Our friends arrive with lessons to teach

Our friends Joe and Michele arrived by train at 10:00 last night. They had taken the train from where their boat is docked, in the Italian island of Alba, and spent the day making their way to us. We met them in Toulon, a town whose Centre looks extremely industrial, but also has amazingly beautiful old buildings and streets.

It is so good to see our friends again! For those who haven’t heard me talk about Joe and Michele, they are dear friends who we have not seen in six years. That was the year they sold their successful chemical adhesive company and bought a 38-foot sailboat called the Peregrine. They have since been sailing the Carribean, and more recently, the Meditaranean.

The difference in their world and our own is stark and fascinating.

A typical day for me involves going to work, managing employees and generally working with our interactive team to provide useful products and services. Conversely, a typical day for Joe and Michele involves going into town for drinkable water and enough food for a few days, as well as for other supplies to keep their floating home afloat.

There is only hot water when they heat it, and no refrigeration. A primarily vegetarian diet is more of an efficient imperitive than moral dictate.

I was thrilled to learn from Michele that she enjoys running. This morning we went for a run in the steep, winding roads leading to and from our villa. The view was amazing and the air, fresh, warm and fragrant.

Running with a map and an open spirit

Michele and Joe have told us many stories, but I’ll leave you now with this one, from Michele:

“The best running I ever did was in Seville. I would bring a map with me, but not look at it before I set out. Instead, I’d choose a direction and go where the roads took me,” she said. If a corner looked promising, she would take it and follow it to the next interesting turn. “When 30 minutes were up, I would find someone and have them point out on the map where we were. Then I’d use it to walk back to the boat.”

She also talked about finding a quiet church along the way to stop and meditate, since someone sitting and just “being” wouldn’t look so odd in a church. Joe also talked about the freedom of simply being.

They must have thanked us a dozen times already for welcoming them into this astounding villa and its many conveniences. (Cold milk! A clothes washer and dryer!) They needn’t have thanked us, of course.

If they were merely old, dear friends, without lessons to teach, they would still be welcome to share in this amazing luxury. The fact that they are more than this – that, to my surprise, they are teaching me valuable lessons in being open to new adventures, and retaining who you are throughout, is even more reward for their company.

Joe and Michele are very cautious. They could not have made it this far without care and circumspection. But what a revelation! To practice the simple, strong act of setting out in the morning, with a map in your pocket and no concern for where you are at any given moment. This is being alive! It's a lesson that holds regardless of where your life leads you, whether it is the streets of Seville or the business district of Milwaukee.