The roar of the engine awoke a lucid sea. She was a sight to see at 68 feet. Crew member Benny had christened her with a helping of fresh water and she glistened beneath the rays of sun. She came alive, responding to the wind with a quiet strength. Captain Richard at the helm stood proud. His steel blue eyes alert and ready to take charge of the vessel and depart from the dock. \u201cAll aboard\u201d first mate Della yells, as she gracefully leaps onto deck. Captain Richard searches\u2026 he listens and feels the wind shift instantly, as if the wind was a reflection of his own breathe. The wind was strong and made its presence known. Strategically adjusting the helm captain Richard brings her majesty starboard and backs out with conviction, all within a matter of seconds. His response is similar to that of a tiger who leaps with passion. As his vessel backs out of the slip the water cradles it with care, neither side of the boat touching the concrete docks\u2026 not a scratch, all net.<\/p>\n
First mate Della takes charge and ties the dinghy off a shackle on the davits. The dinghy trails behind the Midnight Sun like a baby manatee traveling with its mother. As we approach the pier, heading on our journey, two men stand fishing. We wave. \u201cBeautiful vessel\u201d the one man genuinely says with a smile. \u201cHow\u2019s the fishing?\u201d we reply. The man does not answer our question but instead says, \u201cI know you, that\u2019s Richard Jorgensen. I know Richard Jorgensen.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s face lit up with appreciation. It seemed as the though the warmth of the sun now came from the man\u2019s heart. First mate Della asked \u201cwhere does he know you?\u201d to which the man replied, \u201cAlpha Project!\u201d A part of Captain Richard\u2019s soul was touched. He remembered that time of his life well. Working honestly and selflessly with the homeless; helping to teach and guide them. Pure in his intentions to create opportunity and provide tools for emotional sobriety. Helping to turn the dreams of men into realities that can be achieved.<\/p>\n
And here, 25 years later, a life forever touched\u2026it mattered to that starfish. The man\u2019s name was Gary and his smile noted the gift he had received so many years ago \u2013 a gift he valued so much so that it fueled the fire in his belly. The memories that flooded the minds of both Captain Richard and Gary were reflected in the surface of the sea; as the memories surfaced, so did the jellyfish.<\/p>\n
The value in those memories propelled Captain Richard to change direction and head back towards the fishing pier where Gary stood, which he had now passed. \u201cGet me a business card\u201d captain Richard said with excitement to Kerri, a dedicated crewmember. Just like an assembly line, Kerri handed the card to Della, who made her way onto the top deck. Gary, surprised that Richard had returned, anxiously engaged. The present moment now had nothing to do with fishing but everything to do with fishing; for Captain Richard had not given him a fish to feed him for a day, but had taught him how to fish which has fed him for a lifetime. The reconnection of two spirits took presence, as if a Broadway play stage went dark with only a spotlight. As any good weathered captain, Richard maintained focus on his vessel and all his surroundings as First mate Della became the bridge of communication.<\/p>\n
This was more than an event; more than an acquaintance. For the Alpha Project was not about the project itself, as it was more about the men… the souls of people searching for truth. It was about friendship. It was about joining with these men and doing something together\u2014experiencing life together\u2014experiencing challenges and triumphs. The beautiful bond between men, an unspoken language transcribed through time.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill sober?\u201d captain Richard yelled inquisitively from the pilot house\u201d with a voice so robust it could rival a bass guitar. Honest about his challenges Gary waved his arm side to side, as to express the roller-coaster he has been only the past years, but with a smile replied with \u201cI\u2019m off the hard stuff at least\u2026 getting there.\u201d Like a prod lion Captain Richard pointed to himself and yelled \u201c28 years.\u201d Gary smiled and pointed back at Richard \u201cThat\u2019s great man.\u201d Captain Richard\u2019s pride in his own sobriety was not an egotistical pat on the back\u2026.. rather a call of the wild\u2026 a statement of certainty to the universe that sobriety is possible, it is real.<\/p>\n
A sense of hope rippled through the water. Surprised that Captain Richard had returned to the fishing pier to connect with him, Gary was quietly overcome with a feeling of value, appreciation and love. He mattered, he was worth coming back for.<\/p>\n
Captain Richard was a man of consistency. He taught the principles and models and lived them. He was the same man 25 years ago as he is today \u2013 a man of honestly, selflessness, pure intention, a man with deep integrity, a man who lives in reality, a man who values life and everything in it.<\/p>\n
Because of the exchange and the experiences of past, Gary\u2019s perception was one of equality with Captain Richard. Two equal men, no one better or less than the other. Because of the perception of equality Gary possessed, he had an attitude of being open to reconnecting with Richard as he took down Captain Richard\u2019s phone number. Gary\u2019s thinking was based on trust not fear, and his feelings were of safety not uncertainty. To this, his behavior was clear: \u201cI\u2019ll call you in an hour or two\u201d Gary yelled as the vessel started to travel once more past the fishing pier.<\/p>\n
The sun spread its light over the bow of the Midnight Sun, as if it were rolling out a red carpet for its travels.<\/p>\n
An inspired captain took hold of his helm. He had in fact made a difference in the world. His difference stood on a pier, alive, fishing.<\/p>\n
And an inspired man took hold of his reel and cast off. He had in fact been looking to catch something that day\u2026he was in search of feeling that tug on the other end, a connection.<\/p>\n
The crew of the Midnight Sun went about their normal duties, adjusting lines, coiling hoses and securing electrical. But something had changed. A deep sense of love filled the vessel. The depth and breadth of attention respect and appreciation was what the crew inhaled with the smell of salt air, and value was what they exhaled. They experienced a magical moment together. They experienced life. For it was not an event that was to come and go like a passing rainstorm, but the continuum of life\u2026 the seasons that ebb and flow and remind us that we are all connected and in the flow of something far greater then ourselves.<\/p>\n
She was a sight to see at 68 feet\u2026. And she carried her forever-changed crew with a pride that spoke to the depth of the ocean floor. It was a good day. A simple day.<\/p>\n
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply.<\/em>
\n<\/em>Being willing is not enough; we must do.<\/em>
\n<\/em>LEONARDO DA VINCI<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"