a cleat, an anchor
fasten, secure, clamp …
hang on to something

I like to sit on the Calhoun Street Dock on the May River at the foot of the bluff that gives Bluffton, South Carolina its name.

The fact that Calhoun Street is named for John C. Calhoun is for another time and another day.

The Calhoun Street dock is a tidal dock and it floats on the water and goes up and down with the 8 feet of ocean tide that reaches this far up the May River.

Anyone can tie their boat up the dock and leave the boat there while they boat owners enjoy beautiful downtown Bluffton.

Boats can be left tied up for three hours which is all anyone needs to enjoy beautiful downtown Bluffton.

The dock is lined with deck cleats.

We sit on the dock and watch boaters tie up to the dock.

There are the weekend boat owners or maybe those who have found themselves driving a boat that weekend, who slowly maneuver closer and closer to the dock and then have some jump over with a rope and pull the boat in.

Those folks take ropes from the bow and the stern and wind the ropes around and around the cleats until there is a great wad of rope wrapped around the cleat and the boat is made fast.

And the boat owners hopes it is secure.

Then there are those boat owners who come in fast, back down at the last moment, swing the bow away and drop the boat right next to the dock at a dead stop.

They step over to the dock and take the bow line and with a quick slick twist of their hand, drop a ring of rope around the cleat in such a way that when pulled tight, the rope locks itself over and under the cleat.

Not only is the boat secure, but with another flick of the wrist, the loop comes undone and the rope is free of the cleat.

And the boat owner knows it is secure.

I have watched this 100 times.

I have practiced this (at home with a make shift cleat) 100 times.

I still can’t get it.

And I guess you get it or you don’t.

I have studied United States History most of my life.

At one point the plan was to teach the wonderful history of this country that thought maybe they were different than the rest of the world.

When all other governments came crashing, smashing down, the United States of America and its Constitution, THE OLDEST continuously in user written Constitution in the World today, was an anchor, something to hang on to, something to secure the hope of the world.

There was such promise in the history of the United States.

A promise for a future.

You either get it or you don’t.

Now I am not so sure.

There sure seems to be a threat to all we held dear and cared for.

It also seems that if there are any folks who can do anything about these threats, they are busy renting rooms in the front of hotel that is on fire in the back.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

So says the Bible in the Book of Psalms.

I would like an anchor.

I would like something in these times to hand on to.

Paul (or maybe not Paul) wrote about God’s promises in his letter to the Hebrews, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Once more, you either get it or you don’t.

Faith in the United States and a hope.

Faith in God and much more than a hope.

read watch the sunset
watch the moon rise that’s all
isn’t it enough

I watch old movies.

I read.

I watch the sunset.

I watch the moon rise.”

That’s all?”

“That’s all?

Isn’t it enough?

Serenity is a very elusive quality.

I’ve been trying all my life to find it.

I’m very ordinary.

Conversation between Ray Kinsella and J.D. Salinger in the book Shoeless Joe by by W. P. Kinsella (1983, New York : Ballantine Books).

Never really listened to any music by the group U2.

Maybe I was always confused that there lead singer was not related to Sonny Bono.

Maybe, back in the day of music VIDEO, some U2 video of what I think was a live concert of the band performing.

What I remember is that it was a wide shot of a stage with a crowd with some flaming cauldrens in the background and this feller on stage marching back and forth in a sweat and I would click to the next station.

But one line of one song is etched in memory.

I still don’t know what I’m looking for.

Any one who reads these essays from time should be aware that I am a Christian or someone who as accepted the good news of the gift of Christ so I will say, that in the big picture, I do know what I am looking for and that I have found it.

But that leaves the little picture.

Life here on earth.

So much angst.

So much doubt.

Too much hate.

If someone asked me, and no one askes me anything anymore, what I am I looking for, I am not sure I could do better than to say I am very ordinary and all my life I have been searching for serenity and serenity is a very elusive quality.

I am often at a loss to explain myself.

To make up for that, I will recount old stories I have read in books or scenes from old movies an in effort to add to conversation.

That I remember these old stories and old movies is, more or less, a curse of my memory.

But there you are.

There I am.

I watch old movies.

I read.

I watch the sunset.

I watch the moon rise.

That’s all.

Isn’t it enough?

Serenity is a very elusive quality.

I’ve been trying all my life to find it.

I’m very ordinary.