Remembering Georgia and a fisherman named Shawn
We left English harbor bound for Jolly Harbor. I will stay with the boat here as Kel flies home to help put her 98-year-old Grandmother to rest next to her husband in Doniphan, Missouri. I’m sorry I can’t make the trip back with Kel. Georgia was an interesting woman, and I’ll always have fond memories of her stories and the sparkle in her eye. She was strong and brilliant right up to the end.
As Iolair rounded the southwestern corner of Antigua on a beautiful Antiguan day, there was a great deal of commotion on the VHF radio, and a large number of boats were being organized into a circle just off the reef. The phrase, “let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” was repeated by many of the captains. Channel 68 is typically only used for ship to ship hailing. You are expected to switch to another channel for your conversation, but this group of Antiguans was using it for something different.
Once they got the boats organized into the circle, the ceremony began. A captain gave a blessing and it all became clear. “Let’s go, Let’s go, Let’s go” was Shawn’s phrase. I have no idea who Shawn was, how old he was, or how he died. It was clear that he had died suddenly and left a big family behind and his spirit was loved by all the local fishing guides. I learned he would do anything for a friend, take his small boat out in tough conditions with a passion, had an unforgettable smile, and was a heck of good domino player. His last words were “standing by on 68,” so the local fishermen had permission to honor him on channel 68 for several hours before they moved their boats to a park in Jolly Harbor.
I started thinking about how I’d remember Georgia. I loved how she would say “Oh my” when things got a little crazy. I loved that she knew the words to “Achy Breaky Heart.” I loved how she firmly believed that something bigger and better was on the other side of mortality. I really liked the devilish twinkle in her eyes; it is something Kelly inherited. I often see that devilish twinkle in Kel's eyes and I know I'm in trouble. I’m sorry I can’t be there Georgia, but I’ll be thinking of you. I know there will be a great celebration of your life in Doniphan, and someday I would like to see that farm. We will miss you and remember you fondly.
I think Georgia might have liked Shawn, for she always had a soft spot for kind-hearted fishermen.
As Iolair rounded the southwestern corner of Antigua on a beautiful Antiguan day, there was a great deal of commotion on the VHF radio, and a large number of boats were being organized into a circle just off the reef. The phrase, “let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” was repeated by many of the captains. Channel 68 is typically only used for ship to ship hailing. You are expected to switch to another channel for your conversation, but this group of Antiguans was using it for something different.
Once they got the boats organized into the circle, the ceremony began. A captain gave a blessing and it all became clear. “Let’s go, Let’s go, Let’s go” was Shawn’s phrase. I have no idea who Shawn was, how old he was, or how he died. It was clear that he had died suddenly and left a big family behind and his spirit was loved by all the local fishing guides. I learned he would do anything for a friend, take his small boat out in tough conditions with a passion, had an unforgettable smile, and was a heck of good domino player. His last words were “standing by on 68,” so the local fishermen had permission to honor him on channel 68 for several hours before they moved their boats to a park in Jolly Harbor.
I started thinking about how I’d remember Georgia. I loved how she would say “Oh my” when things got a little crazy. I loved that she knew the words to “Achy Breaky Heart.” I loved how she firmly believed that something bigger and better was on the other side of mortality. I really liked the devilish twinkle in her eyes; it is something Kelly inherited. I often see that devilish twinkle in Kel's eyes and I know I'm in trouble. I’m sorry I can’t be there Georgia, but I’ll be thinking of you. I know there will be a great celebration of your life in Doniphan, and someday I would like to see that farm. We will miss you and remember you fondly.
I think Georgia might have liked Shawn, for she always had a soft spot for kind-hearted fishermen.
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