You know it is interesting how we all share a common thread or two. And most of us at least generationally had a very similar upbringing. Yet as we get older we make choices that lead us down very different paths. Ultimately we end up quite unique. I grew up in a small farm town 15 miles south of the Canadian border. Roughly 30 minutes from Mount Baker and 30 minutes from Bellingham Bay, in a area that rarely ever got over 80 degrees in the summer and interestingly enough rarely had snow in the winter.
I grew up with my Dad building houses; he even found the time to build ours too. I spent a stint in Seattle and a stint living in the San Juan Islands all in "land homes." I even bought my own house at about 20 and again at 28 and then again at 34. The last time though was a bit different. I bought in a neighborhood that was far enough north of Dallas that I was able to get much more house than I could ever use. With all of the bedrooms that never ended up with furniture and an outside that always needed landscaping work. The house was about 10 years old and was a track home so everything was painted white. It seemed that the doors always needed to be re hung and my wife at the time wanted a new color scheme.
I fought hard to maintain a corporate sales job and come home and try to do the upkeep on the house myself. I like many Dallas-ites was a bit over my head. I bought my house when the scandal hit that everyone was getting mortgages when they really wouldn't qualify for what they had. I too had bought my house with a stated loan and because of my credit score and job didn't have to prove anything. Things were getting tough in my industry as the great consolidation began amongst competitors and things were getting harder and harder to make ends meet. My at the time wife was impervious to what was going on and stayed at home with our 2 puppies.
As life began to crush into me I started to question why I had such a large house when we never entertained or had children. I don't think she ever really questioned it we all were brought up with "you should own a home" mentality. I had dreams of sailing the oceans looking for adventure, exploring my world and writing about what I saw. She in the back of her mind really wanted to fill the house with children and be a soccer mom. Both were valid dreams they just wouldn't mesh.
When my X told me she wanted a divorce I was sad but understood. We had grown apart and couldn't believe in the others dream anymore. She didn't want to sail and I didn't want to settle down. I was too busy with my career, my racing and preparing myself for the day when I could push off land and never return. During that time I worked very hard but probably looked a bit scattered. It was so painful living in the house looking over at my soul mate that was leaving me that I moved myself onto my boat. I felt like at least I could be a bit more objective and the pain wouldn't be so intense. I think this really pushed her away as she couldn't understand that the only thing that kept me from climbing the mast and jumping off was the thought that soon I would wake up from my nightmare.
Well my nightmare never ended, we completed our divorce and low and behold I was still living on the boat. It was time to sell the house and move on. Even in the soft economy I was able to sell the house as I had bought it right with 10% down and 20% undervalued. So when it came time to sell I was able to get out clean. I had just started a new job and had negotiated the best salary and compensation package I had ever received. During the next 2 years I was able to get my finances back under control and get my self esteem back. Little did I know that while finding my way to the top of the performance ladder that I had pissed off a lot of people along the way?
All I was able to do at that point was to find the unemployment line. Meanwhile I have been maintaining my home on the water. People have a lot of strange ideas when they come out for the first time. It is always interesting to get their first reaction when they step down into my home. The boat fulfills all of the same things that a traditional "land home" offers; a place to sleep, change, entertain, cook, clean, rest, study. But mine also offers a place to challenge, and explore.
Now it has been about 4 years since the original day that I grabbed my clothes and migrated to the boat for shelter. Now it is just my home.
Pirate Mike
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