The doldrums

[bill_schubert]

My grandfather was a sailor on one of the last German merchant sailing ships in the early 20th century.  So I actually am the son of a son of a sailor (he was also an illegal alien.. interesting life he had).  And I spent a Navy career much of which was in the deep blue water I miss every day.  

In my grandfather's time and earlier, before the ships were motorized, being caught in the doldrums was miserable at best and dangerous if it lasted too long.

The white line of clouds is in the doldrums or the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.

The doldrums was a hundreds of miles wide patch where there was no air movement.  Sailing ships just sat there hoping that the current eventually pushed them into the horse latitudes where there was enough wind to move onward again.  The wait could be for weeks.  I've been through them many times and always very glad to be on a powered vessel.

I feel like we're all in the doldrums now.   There is a lot of noise but nothing of significance is going to change and my prescribed course is to sit and wait. There is a certain amount of mental hazard here to see the insanity and not engage.  

There is a runoff for the Dems here but I already voted by mail (benefits of being over 65) so nothing exciting there.  The summer days have taken hold and it is now 80 degrees when I wake up in the morning and near a hundred by 2PM so my afternoon bike ride is questionable.

The best thing I can do is nothing.  I end up looking forward to vacuuming.  

Maybe I need to start writing a book.  "The Corona murders." "The Covid conspiracy" (that one might be a news article one day.. maybe not).  

Something to consider.  Apparently I have time.

Comments

[runeshower.livejournal.com]

I can relate. I've felt like I'm just spinning my wheels, since the lockdown started. Not living, just existing. It's odd, because I am still working (from home), still doing many of the things I did before, though the social things have all gone virtual. Why does life feel like it's on hold?

[susandennis]

i understand and feel it, too. my big excitement is taking my car in to the mercedes dealer i hate. i can't wait to see them again.

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

This post reminds me that you previously posted about living on a sailboat, or yacht as I would call it. I meant to ask you about that but I forgot about it in the dizzy whirl of daily life. First, wow! How wonderful. What size? And was it permanently anchored or were you sailing? (With the usual internet proviso that you don't mind talking about it here, of course.)