Sailing along a river or navigating the seas can be adventurous. If the weather is warm and sunny then it only adds to one’s pleasure. For boat enthusiasts it could mean an escape from the grind of everyday life.
Britain likes to get teenagers involved in social activities like the Sea Cadets. The Sea Cadets is the UK's largest maritime youth charity, established in 1856 and working in over 400 units across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Malta and Bermuda all run by 9,000 volunteers. There are currently around 15,000 cadets aged between 10 and 18. Cadets learn life skills like leadership and team working through nautical adventure activities, and can earn extra qualifications which give youngsters a head start.
This is an extra-curricular activity that keeps youths alert on the other side, a marvelous opportunity to see the world. It teaches them the duties of a seaman such as how to navigate in waters, sail a small vessel like a sailing dinghy (small yacht), or working with shipmates (crew), etc. The feedback they get from working with others is invaluable (helpful) for their career, if indeed they choose to work by sea either in the navy as a sailor of the high seas, or even on cargo ships or cruisers.
I had the chance to meet some fleet auxiliary officers when I won the Trophy for outstanding initiative at my Sea Cadet unit in Surrey as a youth. For two years running I went away aboard Royal Navy frigates and sailed in the high seas. It was an experience hard to forget, especially as on both occasions I puked my guts up from seasickness. I suppose I was being broken in to be a man. At the time it was wretched (despicable), but memory today tells me it was part of the learning curve to adulthood.
We are developed from good and bad experience. We can’t always make the right decisions along the way, but if bad we learn something good as it prepares us for future outcome, it teaches us to have resilience (toughness) to overcome future obstacles, and overall objectives can be met to fuel our hunger for growth.
Written by Carl Boniface
Here is a question for you that will be clarified in next week’s blog. Stay tuned!
1. What does the other side mean in relation to the text in paragraph three?
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