A Tagline that Ages Well

A Tagline that Ages Well

What is a tagline?  A descriptive phrase which follows a title.  It further clarifies, or gives clues about, the content of the written passage.  In our case:  View Point –   Random musings of two rookie retirees on a boat.  View Point, of course, is a play on words.  We express our viewpoints in our writing, but we also have the honor of sharing glimpses of the views and vistas we encounter, through our descriptions and photographs.

The tagline is a little trickier.  When we created the phrase, we were newly retired, and truly rookies at this new phase of life.  We wanted to be intentional in retirement.  No couch potatoes are we!  When anticipating the freedom of retirement, we recognized the opportunity to do things we’ve never had time for, due to work life constraints.  (Most people can relate).  But opportunities don’t always just happen, they are created.  Consider the axiom:  Carpe diem – Seize the Day.  We knew we needed to seize this time of life and make it count.

A rookie is someone who has just started something new, and doesn’t have much prior experience at it.  Four years ago, we were rookies to retirement.  We had no experience at it.  We also had no experience with boating.  That’s right.   None, zippo, zilch.  So, what in the world were we thinking?  My far-sighted, adventure-loving husband was thinking of it as a means of seeing more of the world, but also as an opportunity for us to learn something new together.  Our 42’ Kady Krogen cabin cruiser is a vessel that requires both of us to operate it.  Of course, a seasoned mariner worth his salt might be able to single handedly operate it, but no sane rookie would be up to the task.  As it turns out, this working together effort has been good for us.  We each bring value to the table.  We also each bring incompetence at times, which leads to a lot of laughs.

But, you may say, now that you’ve been at this for 4 summers, surely you’ve learned enough to overcome your incompetency.   And we would answer that no matter how much we learn, there is still more to be learned, and we will never know it all.  Thus, we will remain in a perpetual state of rookiehood, and continue to have a lot of laughs.  This is something we greatly recommend, no matter your stage of life.  Resist the urge to take yourself too seriously, and embrace your inner rookie.  You will be led to places you could not have imagined.

In this, our fourth boating season, as we begin our time on the water, we are resisting any urges to become professional.  The rookie life suits us and keeps us humble, while continued learning and divine intervention keep us safe.  So, here’s to our tagline.  We’re going to keep it.  And here’s to you, dear reader, because we know that if you’re reading this, you care about us and our View Point.

-Beth

Can rookies take their own boat to Alaska?