I don’t always feel like this. That is to say: I don’t feel like every second of the day, but most of the time; I feel as though I am a great ship traveling through time. Controlled by a rudder, being steered by a crew, who is given directions by their most sea worthy of Captains. Although I face many storms, glide by many jagged rocks, huge ice burgs, and narrowly escape so many other dangerous objects and situations, my Captain remains steady. He has never let me down. He has never failed me, and despite my short comings, despite the fact that I am stubborn and hard to steer, he sails me effortlessly by these hazards without a hitch.

No one else in their right mind would want to be in charge of such an old beaten, run down tub like me, yet he never complains about me, nor does he talk badly about me behind my back, calling me names or undermining my self esteem. He seems to understand me more than anyone else and loves this old barnacle ridden ship more than anyone has the right to.

We have had many adventures together. A lot of them are situations in which he had to protect me from myself. Plenty could have been much easier and more enjoyable voyages, if he had a ship that was more reliable and didn’t try to fight him at every coarse correction, but the "Good Captain" gently and strongly steers, navigates and re-plots a coarse through angry waters.

When we come to port, he stands at my main mast with his friends and polishes my brass as he boasts of what a fine vessel I am and how we have such a strong relationship and history together. He boasts of all my attributes and never mentions my downfalls. He doesn’t mention my leaking hull from years of self abuse. He doesn’t even mention the fact that my timber will moan and creak badly during storms, or even during choppy weather. More times than I can remember these past 43 years I have heard my Captain barking out orders to the crew to "Bail" me out, or to "Secure" my main sail.

There have been plenty of times were I have thought that I knew more than he, but the "Captain of all captains", has proven me wrong every single time. I have no idea how he puts up with this ship "AFOOL"(the self appointed nickname, of which I have given myself). The Good Captain does not call me this though. His official name for me is "SON", of which I am proud. Yet at the same time I am slightly embarrassed about it. For a Son would have acted much better over these past many years. Never the less, he looks at me with the biggest grin on his face that I have ever seen, and as much pride in his eyes that anyone can have.

Some day when I come to port after my final voyage, the Captain has promised to live aboard me permanently. He says that: when this time comes, we will be closer than ever, and there will never be another storm or hazard to make me second guess him. He says that I will be brand new from my stem to stern. I will have all new glowing fittings and will be polished so brightly that people will have a hard time looking at me from the reflection of the "Great Son".   So for these many years of service and until I come into port for that final time, I would like to thank my Great Captain for all of our days at sea. Thank you, Captain.

Dante Persechino is an accomplished artist and stay at home dad, the opinions reflected in his column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of findRI.com, Inc, its employees or its sponsor. To send a comment on this article click on the link below.