A Secret to a Happy Life: Live Like a Boater 24/7
“A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say, ‘How to Build a Boat’.”
- Steven Wright
When was the last time you waved at someone from your car?
I’m talking about driving on the highway and waving hello to the guy next to you doing 70 miles an hour.
If aliens are observing our planet - and no doubt they are - they’ve probably noticed something peculiar about how humans change their behavior when riding certain vehicles.
They’d notice, for example, that when we’re on a boat we seem very happy and peaceful. We smile and wave at other boaters - our beautiful fellow human beings. People on dry land see us on the boat and wave at us.
But then something happens. We leave the boat and step into another vehicle - the one with 4 wheels. Suddenly it’s a whole different ballgame. We tense up, curse out loud, cut each other off, and yes, we still wave at each other - only this time with one finger.
Same human, different vehicle. What happened?
People even NAME their boats, hiring professional sign painters. (How come we don’t name our cars?)
Below are some actual boat names I saw recently (Notice how creative, playful, lighthearted and exotic they are):
Joyous, Segovia, It’s About Time, Flying Cloud, Copasetic, Sabre 52, Off the Cuff, Snookie Joy, Wife’s Squall, Verus, Sweetness, Sandy Said II, Quickwater.
If we named our cars it’d be more like Flat Tire, Drunk Drivin’, Bad Direction, Don’t Make Me Stop This Car, Breakdown, or Long Commute.
To be fair, chances are if you’re on a boat you’re on vacation. You’re finally free to relax, be happy and carefree…enjoy life. I get it.
But why wait until you’re on a boat?
Why wait?
So here’s your homework: wave at your fellow motorists the next time you’re on the road. Try it once. They’ll think you’re nuts. I’ve done it, it’s a great feeling.
And while you’re at it, think up a carefree name for your car and have somebody paint it on your trunk. Something cool, like Stargazer, or Gas Guzzlin’, or Hot Mamma.
What do you think of my little philosophy? What would you name your car? Got a boat story? Leave a comment.
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