Arriving in Port - By Jay

We arrive, early morning, in the port of a small city and begin to observe typical events associated with our arrival. A pilot boat meets us outside of the breakwater and guides our ships Captain through the channels and currents that are unique to this location. There is the crew that will assist securing our ship to the pier with heavy lines, other people helping set up the gangway, a usual number of security personnel, bus and taxi drivers preparing to whisk our shipmates off to pre-arranged tours away from the ship.

We also see unrelated activity; a forklift driver, a man driving a flatbed truck, a small car bringing an office worker, the various workers that rely on port and harbor activities for their livelihood. We can't help thinking that every day at this same port families are dependent on the work being done here and to some degree the 2400 people aboard our ship are contributing to these family's well being.

Each of these people we observe are unknown to us and we, unknown to them, but nevertheless we are dependent on each other. There are different languages and cultures involved, perhaps major differences in our expectations of each other, but we are mindful that human nature and rules make it possible for us to accomplish something for a person with whom we will never know on a personal level.

I'm looking across the harbor at a tall building and there is a rotating radar antenna on the roof. I'm thinking about the information that this antenna is conveying and the person or persons that are responsible for interpreting and reporting the meaning of this information. Every country we visit and every port we find connection to must have some systems in place related to scheduling and managing departures and arrivals, not to mention security concerns. Perhaps this radar antenna is simply monitoring off-shore vessels waiting a clearance to enter the inner harbor for loading or off-loading their assignments. It may be that they have to evaluate or arrange  port resources for the most efficient outcome.

There are many unknowns to us but it is inspiring to think that this level of cooperation can exists only when there are peaceful relationships that transcend our differences.