I lost a dear friend today. I know that we have all lost some great friends and I understand the pain that it causes to those of us left behind, but I write this because she changed the course of my life. Let me explain. I was a wet-behind-the ears kid that grew up inland in South Africa, but had always dreamed of sailing around the world.
Some weekends my dad would take us to Durban which is on the coast and I would sit on the International jetty at the Point Yacht Club and look at the boats that had come across the Indian Ocean and dream of one day joining them so sail some place; any place.
One day a boat pulled in. I just happened to be there and for some strange reason I had the courage to say hello to a beautiful woman scrubbing the deck. They had been chartering in the Seychelles Islands and had just arrived in South Africa. She was the skipper’s girlfriend, but he had left immediately to go to Weymouth, England to be part of a crew of a boat named Crossbow and they were going to try and set new sailing speed record. Which they did.
Her name was Lynnie and she invited me onboard and when her boyfriend came back he invited me to join the boat as a lowly deckhand. We sailed the ’79 Cape to Uruguay Race and while it was a fun 28 day crossing the Atlantic, mostly under spinnaker, the thing I remember most was that Lynnie like to go topless and for me as a 20 year old punk, that was about as good as life could be.
I am in a puddle of tears now because Lynnie died of a heart attack. It hurts so much because I look back and wonder how my life would have been different had I not had the courage to say hello that warm summer day. I have three children that I might never have had. I have two ex-wives that I might never have had but still love them and I have my wife now, who grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania who I might never have met.
What are the chance of a kid from Africa marrying a farm girl from Pennsylvania?
Had I not net Lynnie my life would be something else. So think about that. The chance meetings in your own lives. I will miss you Lynnie and the opportunity that you gave me and it has been a charmed life. Thank you sweetheart. Rest in peace in that Big Garden in the Sky and know forever that you changed at least one person’s life. That would be mine. Brian Hancock.
Brian is dealing with some serious health concerns as well. If at all possible, please take a look at his bookstore and order one of them that strikes your fancy. He would greatly appreciate it. – tempesta.
