A Ship Is Safe

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inCourage, Theologians, Victor Hugo, William G.T. SheddTags:, ,

A Ship is Safe

 A ship is safe  in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for.”

William G.T. Shedd

It is easy to talk about courage when the sun is shining and you are surrounded by a support network that strengthens your resolve.  In fact, courage is often masked by “group think.”  We feel security within community.  At times, it is easier to stop asking questions, to accept conventional wisdom, and to forget to exercise our minds altogether.  Yet, we are at our best when we embrace the adventure and chose courage as our steady and secure companion.

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.”

Victor Hugo

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

40 thoughts on “A Ship Is Safe”

    1. And I have seen problems happen often!!! When I was a teenager, I complained to my mother about a difficult situation. She smiled and said, “it will build your character.” I remember saying that I thought I had enough character and didn’t need any more. Well, many, many years later, I am still building character. It seems I need to learn more…

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  3. This resonates with me deeply. We all need to be tested, each alone and in pain, to see if that our courage and inner strength is enough to carry us through.

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    1. I agree wholeheartedly. Your comments remind me of a quote by C.S. Lewis: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.”

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  4. The quote by William Shedd is one of my favourites. The one by Victor Hugo almost brings a tear to my eye. I think I will sleep in peace tonight for today I have laboriously laboured with many daily tasks; not much courage required. Just fortitude and stamina 🙂

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      1. Ahh…sounds so cool. I remember when aboard a sailing boat. I woke up early then saw the sunrise in the east and our boat has been accompanied by 5 dolphins on the right and 5 on the left. they were our friends till the boat nearly ashore 🙂

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  6. …go to sleep in peace… it moves me.
    Mot of our fears, the ones preventing us from leaving the harbor are just thoughts anyway. I like the thought of difficult situations forming your character!
    Have a lovely day, Clanmother.

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    1. How wonderful for you to stop by! I purchased “Coral Paint Pro.” I have no idea how to actually use it, but I did locate a button called “artistic.” I am figuring it all out as I go along – there is so much more for me to learn.

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      1. It sounds interesting! I couldn’t find it on the App Store. I found another app called snapseed by google. It is not new. I just installed it. Seems very handy in enhancing your images. Indeed technology has helped us a lot. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. What an inspirational post!

    “A ship is safe in harbour, but that’s not what ships are for,” I love that. It’s so true, this temptation to stay in safe waters is so beguiling and the longer we stay the harder it is to venture out, but “nothing ventured, nothing gained” as they say!

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  10. Decades ago a friend confidently stated “One day my ship will come in” as we sat on a breakwall watching yachts come in the channel to a placid (smelly-stagnant-crowded) harbor. I clearly remember being at a loss to reply.
    His ship did come in. He’s tied to the mast in the same harbor still; jostling for space, anchor entangled with all the others, fearful of the least scratch on deck, the breeze of thought to go out the channel into Big Water has become a terrifying hurricane.
    I’ve made my own small craft and gone out the channel, slowly made way across the “Big Water”, through the straights and down the seaway into Vast Oceans.
    We hail each other from time to time, he pitying my patched and scratched little bark waiting out a passing storm on an incomprehensibly foreign strand, I with compassion knowing that he’s safe…yet sometimes I can’t resist horrifying him with tales of the edge, where indeed There Be Monsters. He’ll then go below decks and secure the hatch, I’ll wet a finger to see which way the wind blows next.

    I found a buoyant big brown nut washed up on the sand, wonder where it came from…

    🙂

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    1. Thank you so much for adding so much to the dialogue. I’m coming with you….I have to find out where the buoyant big brown nut washed up on the sand came from!

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  12. I met and talked to a sailor. He even used it for races, how exciting. But, he always had a life jacket on board. Does that sound negative? It is wise to prepare for any eventuality. A beautiful photo, absolutely!

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    1. It sounds brilliant, actually. If you are heading out to open sea, it is always good to be prepared. I even check for life jackets when i go on the Vancouver seabus or cross on the Ferries.

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  14. So true!!! I love the quotes, the first one is perfect! Will share that with my kiddies 😀 The second one may be a little “deep” for them to grasp 😀 I however totally get it 😀 :D.

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    1. Thank you so much for joining the conversation. Give special hugs to your kiddies. My most favourite quote about adventures and courage when I was a child was from Peter Pan.

      “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning. ”
      ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

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