Stormy Seas

Covid-19, the global pandemic that has emerged suddenly and unexpectedly. Our daily lives have been disrupted and the markets have been unsettled with uncertainty and unpredictability. Fear is running rampant, not only within the US, but across the entire world.

Many years ago, a few friends and I decided to take an expedition to sail amongst the Hawaiian Islands aboard a 25-foot schooner sailboat. As we navigated the channel, tacking up wind, first to port and then to starboard, we were inundated with a bluster of unrelenting wind and surging waves.

Instinctively, I gripped the nearest siderail and held on for dear life as the sailboat tilted to 45 degrees, Scanning the sailboat I observed my friends, who, like me, were seasick and green in the face while tightly holding onto to the nearest banister. In all the chaos, two things were clear, we were terrified, and were in this together.

As the stormy sea continued to heave, I looked to our captain who, unlike his guests (myself included), remained composed. My friends and I were fearful because we had limited sailing experience and to us, this situation seemed insurmountable. In that moment I couldn’t help but second-guess the captain’s capabilities… how could be so resolute in the midst of such chaos? 

Eventually the wind subsided, shifting seas calmed and settled and our spirits lifted. I glanced at the captain once again and his disposition was the same as it was in the during the turmoil, unwaveringly steadfast.

As we slowly sailed towards the dock, I thought about the circumstances we had just experienced, and I was astonished with how the captain navigated the storm and his boat guests with skill, self-assurance and composure. Intrigued, I asked him how he did it … he chuckled and with that the captain offered a simple reply, “I trusted my instruments, relied on my experience and capabilities and when stuff got rough, I focused on that ray of sunshine in the distant sky that was peeking through the storm clouds.”

I realize things are challenging, unpredictable and at times, a bit scary. I do not know how long this situation will last but what I do know is how to navigate the rough waters of market instability. I have sailed through quite a few “squalls” in my 25 years of experience and do believe that this one too shall pass.