“Hey, Nic: don’t lean on that safety line!” I flinched back. “Why not?” The answer was short: “We cut the lashings.”
Conflict Resolution, Pirate Style
Nic Gardner’s Proust Questionnaire
Since the 1800s, writers, interviewers, and others use the Proust Questionnaire to get to know people. Do the answers provide insight into the answerer’s personality, or are they just for fun? Whatever you believe, here are my answers.
Death: A Slow Voyage of Acceptance
“I don’t know how to tell you this… [your brother] passed away this morning.” I had to read the message several times before I processed it. Then my legs stopped holding me up.
Is it okay to be not okay?
It could be worse. I have somewhere safe to stay, I have enough food. Objectively, I’m doing well — it could be worse.
What do fishing boats have to do with #metoo?
“I hate this,” he said. “I know most of them are just fishing boats, but because I know at least a few of them are pirates, I have to treat them all as if they’re going to attack us. And I can’t stay away from all of them or we’ll never get home.”
Finding Control in a COVID World
It’s okay to stop fighting. If I can’t breathe, I choose to stop trying. When it's my choice, there’s no need to panic: I’m in control. That pause, that absence of panic, gives me a chance to deal with the problem. That applies to the rest of life as well.
Beliefs in the Time of COVID-19: Are You Part of the Problem?
In a worldwide pandemic, the consequences of our prejudice can be dire. If you've never questioned your own beliefs, this is the time.
The Freedom of Constraints
I like plans. In January I wrote my 2020 plan; in March, I got stuck in the wrong country. There's freedom in having limited choices: here's why.
What can sailors teach us about lockdown?
There’s a strange phenomenon that happens on ships; it’s called “Channel Fever.”
Seasickness: the Best Feeling in the World
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash The best thing about seasickness is that it leads to one of the best feelings in the world: that moment when, several days into a voyage, I wake up and realise that I feel hungry. I get up to find something to eat, then realise with a sense of joy... Continue Reading →
Nic Gardner 