Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Good Ship Mayflower

It all started this day (Sept 16) back in 1620.  A bunch of folks who came to be known as pilgrims piled into the Mayflower and set sail across the Atlantic in search of a new world.

In this day of cruise ships the size of cities sailing the oceans, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the Mayflower was only 100 feet long. Only slightly longer than three stretch limos placed end to end. One hundred and two passengers, along with goats, sheep, and chickens were packed into that ship in conditions so tight that anyone over five foot had to hunch over to stand upright.

Today I could not even imagine a hundred people agreeing to take on the Atlantic Ocean in a ship that size. The entire vessel would disappear between ocean swells during a raging storm.

Nor can I imagine what conditions might have been like back then to drive people to agree to make that crossing. 

If ever there were heroic explorers - these folks take the top of the list.

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