I love it!!! It was such a funny and beautiful moment to have literally just hit “publish,” open my Substack app and see your post!!! 😆😆😆
These occurrences always make my inner child super happy 😃
And the irony is that the seagull medicine I wrote of for today, is kind of what you were doing through the writing of your post - exploring emotional stories and memories.
Thank you, Joyce, for this lovely piece. The sea below us, like the air above us, represent adventure and freedom for many.
I have no sea-farers in my ancestors, but I do find a brass compass in a wooden case beautiful to touch and look at. And seagulls and their calls, who could resist their charms.
Thank you, Perry. The old historic compasses with their wooden cases or sometime wooden stands are beautiful. I remember them from my childhood. Never stopped admiring them.
Yes, I too love the sea. I used to live a short walk from the Pacific, and I could just get lost in the vast infinite of it. There is nothing to me so solitary as being wrapped in the roaring sound of crashing waves. Thank you for this wonderful writing on the sea and your family memories.
I love hearing these old family stories on Substack, it's always absolutely fascinating. We have quite a few historic ships you can still visit here in the UK, too, and there is definitely something magical about them. It took many people working together to keep them sailing, and it's amazing to think how buzzing and full of life they must once have been out at sea, and also how incredibly dangerous it all was... 😎
I loved this, Joyce. I too feel deeply connected to the sea. My family and I sailed around the world for 61/2 years, crossing two oceans and many seas in between. So many adventures! Once we came across a ship sailing within a hand's reach right past us in the night--no one in the cockpit, each of us running without lights. Too new a ship to be the Dutchman. Someone sleeping with his/her autopilot turned on. Or perhaps down in the galley making tea as I often did when I had night watch. We all could have died that night it we'd crashed into each other. We sailed with lights at night from then on although it would not protect us from others who sailed without. still, we felt safer at sea than we ever did returning home and traveling the freeways. Thank you for reminding me of those lovely days living on the sea we loved.
Thank you, Deborah. What a lovely connection this is with you and family sailing around the world.
I bet you’ve got so much to tell about that time. That near-miss must have been horrifying. Distances are hard to estimate at sea, and most sailing ships do not have radar. It should be mandatory to have lights on at night.
Thank you for sharing this, Deborah. Much appreciated 💙🙏💫🌊
You are so welcome, Joyce! Yes, we were foolish to sail at night without lights to save on energy, but we learned a valuable lesson. We actually met fellow sailors who would go to sleep at night while sailing on autopilot without keeping a night watch! I suppose if sailing solo that would be necessary. But I personally loved the night watches. It was exhilarating.
Sailed around the world for 6 1/2 years?! Wow! I lived on a sailboat in the islands north of Seattle for five years and felt proud of myself for learning to sail solo, but I never ventured into the big waters outside the straits. What a phenomenal experience you've had. Bet you've got lots of stories to tell. Thanks for posting this response.
Thanks for sharing that, Andrew. It's always fun to connect with a fellow sailor. Sounds like you are also a lover of jazz and photography, as I am. I'll be looking forward to checking out your substack.
Your wonderful Ode to the Sea excites my memory and imagination, Joyce. I was a child the first time I caught a glimpse of The Flying Dutchman with James Mason on TV. Although I didn't see the whole movie at the time, the story stayed with me until I was old enough to trace its origins, see the film in its entirety, and check out Wagner's take on it. Growing up inland, I longed for the sea and eventually lived on a sailboat in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for sharing your memories so eloquently here.
Thank you, Andrew. What a lively connection this is… you living on a sailboat. There is something soothing when you hear or feel the waves breaking against the boat. Do you still live on your sailboat?
When life gets tough, head to the ocean , gaze at the sky and water vastness for a while, and suddenly, your problems won't seem as significant anymore.
This is simply beautiful. I love the sea and all of it's mystique, history and brave people. What a fantastic childhood! My family is from Southend-on-sea. Hence my mum and dad moving to the Oregon seaside away from us many years ago. It was a yearning. A reminder. I too a big history buff. Thank you for this wonderful piece Joyce. Sending you much love for the weekend! oxoxox.
The skunk incident left me with a few long days of washing and gardening therapy unable to escape the smell! lol. Better now. Thank you for your kindness and help here on Substack. Doesn't look like I'll be back on the "carousel" above the home feed, as I've been told "I read my stories." If I didn't read them to my mum who's going blind or John who asks me to maybe I'd get put back there. Of course, nothing makes sense. We all read them or correct something, add a picture in, etc. But yes, that came from a Substack "help" person named Betty. Oh well :). I think if we had a nominal yearly fee to use Substack it could be specific to introducing a "live" help area maybe? Right now it's A.I. and there are two people working there if you're lucky enough to hear back within 2 weeks (lol).
We do have a lovely connection. All God. I'm so glad He is in the details of what is good for us as we battle the worldly things on occasion. I'm doing my thing. I do feel sorry for a few people I know here that have writer's block and feel they have been kicked out of being seen by the community. That's why I have tried. I, myself, have said to God a long, long time ago, "if I'm meant to affect someone, touch someone's heart, I will. He is with me." I will not be defeated. I know Satan comes for those who love Him and I've got braver lately. I take it as a challenge. Nothing new! Thank you so much for sharing my stories. I love sharing yours as well and I love this community. oxox
I wish I could get more seen by the community on here, too. I've no idea why Substack favours some things over others. Pretty much all the Posts in the Fiction category aren't even Fiction most of the time! Apparently, it's all to do with 'sustained engagement'. So if Posts are getting consistent Likes and Comments over several days, they will keep showing it to more people. Otherwise, they just sink without trace. Especially on Notes. Which I suppose is a good metaphor on a Post like this! Haha... 😎
It is sad, yes, especially when I've spent hours crafting stuff. But I still enjoyed writing it, and I had fun reading it back to myself, so that's the main thing. Most of my Flash Fiction on Notes does nothing, but they've started doing a bit better now I'm putting them up in small collections as Main Posts... 😎
Hi Chris! I feel like there's so many sudden issues with Substack lately. I saw last night that some people are being unsubscribed to stacks they subscribe to and it's not the owner of the particular Substack that's getting rid of them! Then there's the "carousel" and trying to get your work out there. Then there's no actual help that solves anything. I think that if Substack wants to be amazing and professional they should have a nominal yearly subscription for all of us so we can get a "live help desk," a lot like Apple, Canon and a few others - but then I digress A.I. is where we are going and that's super frustrating. I'm really sorry about the Fiction category getting lost among non-Fiction. Also that whole sustained engagement I was never into because slowly you become a slave to it and then it feels insincere. As a professional photographer for a long time I got fed up with that very fast and that was years ago with Facebook and Instagram back in 2009 through 2011. I would have starved in Paris! ha ha! No tap dancing for me. It's very hard to find a balance as an artist and engager. Most of us are humble with our work and working at "engaging" to be seen doesn't sit well all the time. I knew this would happen here and it's kinda sad. So there's a lot of us that just help each other. Then there's prayer. If we are meant to touch just one person then we are good. Then when it's a few, we feel immensely blessed. I'd rather grow naturally like that. It's taken two years for me to have 300 subscribers and the first 100 was a year and a half. I have about 100 or less reading if that. I heard we should cull who isn't reading because that effects the algorithm too? who knows? Keep writing because it's a joy! Thank you for saying something. Nice to meet you! ox
It’s not just the ‘unsubscribe’ glitch, I was unpleasantly surprised to find recently that ‘I’ had blocked a fellow author whose work I’m always following. Same happened to Writer Pilgrim. Mentioned it to Substack and would get a ‘human’ getting back to me. So far nothing!
A yearly subscription to Substack to get a professional and active support team would be a good start.
And a ‘tip jar’ for authors. I couldn’t afford the monthly payments and there are several I’d love to subscribe to, so choosing one is impossible.
Well I've spoken about this many times with people. There are so many saying they want to read things but the Subscriptions are too high. I can completely understand authors want their work to be valued, and Substack believe they should be paid a fair price, and it's all very admirable, but at the same time I do feel forcing everyone to charge a minimum price that is essentially the same per month as a Netflix/Amazon Subscription is just not realistic. It should be able to be set wherever you want it, even if that is just £1/$1 a month. Or even something like £5/$5 a year! As you can do with books. Because again, it's just not realistic for most people to be able to charge £5/$5 for a Kindle in the same way big Publishers can, but they can charge £2/$2 and it makes it much more likely people will take a chance and support it. I think something like that could work very well here... 😎
Joyce! that's crazy? unsubscribing, bad enough, but blocking without knowing? Something is not right! And I agree with what you said about the tip jar! Substack is exploding as all other social media did and I think it's having a hard time keeping up - and rather than it staying pleasant and fair - it's turned into the same old driving engine where stars from the "likes" and such and everyone else is just trying to swim. All I want to do is write and that's all I did until Notes (and still wrote of course) but I didn't think about anything but writing before Notes! arfff. (face slap). Oh well, goodnight from SoCal. Have a beautiful day! oxox
Hi! Fiction doesn't tend to do that well on here anyway, compared to the 'wellness' category and the 'self-help' and things like that, where people are engaging in the thousands. But Fiction is what I love, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity this site has given me to potentially find some new readers. You're right, the marketing aspect is the hardest part. It's very difficult to get in front of people and say the right things that are going to grab them on Notes or whatever. Some people on here are amazing at it. I really just want to write and have fun, and if other people want to join me on my journey and have fun as well, that is wonderful, whether it's a few people or lots of people. It is far better to just grow naturally and meet people and make connections. Because those are the connections you were supposed to make and the people your work was supposed to find. And it's nice to look at it that way. I've been growing steadily, and I'm at just over 60 after eight months. It would be lovely to hit 100. But you just never know what's going to happen on here. Which is all part of the fun, I guess! I have heard that, about removing inactive Subscribers, because it kills the open rate. Personally, I wouldn't want to remove anyone, because there could be so many reasons why they're not opening at any given time, and they may come back at some point! Thanks for sharing all that. It's nice to meet you, too, and good luck with your writing! 😎
Hey Chris! I so agree and just keep doing you and being you! I realize, like getting caught in yet another social experiment, I was much happier just writing, posting to my Substack and going on with the day! I have been greatly enriched by the community here and my frustration is, like with Instagram, especially during 2020, but long before, (I joined 6 months after its inception- just like here 🤔) they corroded it so much that my friends disappeared from my view. Best to sit back and identify why we write (for me: to leave something behind for my family) and just do it - or quit until it's a genuine pleasure and passion. Stay in touch with who you can - and help each other when you can. I look forward to reading some of your pieces! We are all a bit overwhelmed here, keeping up, but we are a kind community that wants the best for each other! Trying to keep that subculture together from the culture destroying it ..is key! 🤦♀️🤪 God Bless you!! ox
This is a lovely ode to the sea! The details about your great-grandfather's stories and the love for old ships really bring the piece to life. The Baudelaure quote is a great closing touch.
This is a lovely ode to the sea! The details about your great-grandfather's stories and the love for old ships really bring the piece to life. The Baudelaure quote is a great closing touch.
Just finished my post on Seagulls, and opened SUBSTACK and this is the first thing I see ☺️
Thank you for sharing your family story, and allowing us a peek into your world.
Have a wonderful day 🤗🤗
Isn’t it wonderful how the Universe connected us? 💙🙏💫
I love it!!! It was such a funny and beautiful moment to have literally just hit “publish,” open my Substack app and see your post!!! 😆😆😆
These occurrences always make my inner child super happy 😃
And the irony is that the seagull medicine I wrote of for today, is kind of what you were doing through the writing of your post - exploring emotional stories and memories.
I love it!!!!
I love it too! I had posted mine and up comes a pop up of your post.
I love seagulls 💙💫
Thank you, Joyce, for this lovely piece. The sea below us, like the air above us, represent adventure and freedom for many.
I have no sea-farers in my ancestors, but I do find a brass compass in a wooden case beautiful to touch and look at. And seagulls and their calls, who could resist their charms.
Thank you, Perry. The old historic compasses with their wooden cases or sometime wooden stands are beautiful. I remember them from my childhood. Never stopped admiring them.
How wonderful Joyce! Thank you for bringing the sea to life for me, a landlubber surrounded by the great unsalted lakes of Michigan! 🌊💗
Thank you, Cynthia 💙🙏💫🌊
Yes, I too love the sea. I used to live a short walk from the Pacific, and I could just get lost in the vast infinite of it. There is nothing to me so solitary as being wrapped in the roaring sound of crashing waves. Thank you for this wonderful writing on the sea and your family memories.
Oh my goodness, so you know exactly what I meant to convey. That’s absolutely lovely. Thank you, Jenn, for sharing your experience 💙🙏💫🌊
And thank you for sharing yours ❤️
I love hearing these old family stories on Substack, it's always absolutely fascinating. We have quite a few historic ships you can still visit here in the UK, too, and there is definitely something magical about them. It took many people working together to keep them sailing, and it's amazing to think how buzzing and full of life they must once have been out at sea, and also how incredibly dangerous it all was... 😎
Thank you, Chris. The many stories I was told certainly gave a good impression of life at sea in those days. 💙🙏💫🌊
I loved this, Joyce. I too feel deeply connected to the sea. My family and I sailed around the world for 61/2 years, crossing two oceans and many seas in between. So many adventures! Once we came across a ship sailing within a hand's reach right past us in the night--no one in the cockpit, each of us running without lights. Too new a ship to be the Dutchman. Someone sleeping with his/her autopilot turned on. Or perhaps down in the galley making tea as I often did when I had night watch. We all could have died that night it we'd crashed into each other. We sailed with lights at night from then on although it would not protect us from others who sailed without. still, we felt safer at sea than we ever did returning home and traveling the freeways. Thank you for reminding me of those lovely days living on the sea we loved.
Thank you, Deborah. What a lovely connection this is with you and family sailing around the world.
I bet you’ve got so much to tell about that time. That near-miss must have been horrifying. Distances are hard to estimate at sea, and most sailing ships do not have radar. It should be mandatory to have lights on at night.
Thank you for sharing this, Deborah. Much appreciated 💙🙏💫🌊
You are so welcome, Joyce! Yes, we were foolish to sail at night without lights to save on energy, but we learned a valuable lesson. We actually met fellow sailors who would go to sleep at night while sailing on autopilot without keeping a night watch! I suppose if sailing solo that would be necessary. But I personally loved the night watches. It was exhilarating.
Sailed around the world for 6 1/2 years?! Wow! I lived on a sailboat in the islands north of Seattle for five years and felt proud of myself for learning to sail solo, but I never ventured into the big waters outside the straits. What a phenomenal experience you've had. Bet you've got lots of stories to tell. Thanks for posting this response.
Thanks for sharing that, Andrew. It's always fun to connect with a fellow sailor. Sounds like you are also a lover of jazz and photography, as I am. I'll be looking forward to checking out your substack.
Your wonderful Ode to the Sea excites my memory and imagination, Joyce. I was a child the first time I caught a glimpse of The Flying Dutchman with James Mason on TV. Although I didn't see the whole movie at the time, the story stayed with me until I was old enough to trace its origins, see the film in its entirety, and check out Wagner's take on it. Growing up inland, I longed for the sea and eventually lived on a sailboat in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for sharing your memories so eloquently here.
Thank you, Andrew. What a lively connection this is… you living on a sailboat. There is something soothing when you hear or feel the waves breaking against the boat. Do you still live on your sailboat?
Not anymore, Joyce. I returned to terra firma several years ago when I noticed my mom was becoming elderly. But I’m really glad I had that experience.
I can understand that you wanted to be more near your mum.
But the memory of living on that sailboat remains 💙🙏💫
When life gets tough, head to the ocean , gaze at the sky and water vastness for a while, and suddenly, your problems won't seem as significant anymore.
Thank you, Charlotte 💙🙏💫🌊
I really enjoyed this post Joyce! I love the sea, the sea gulls and being on the ocean! Very cool family history.
Thank you, Pamela 💙🙏💫🌊
This is simply beautiful. I love the sea and all of it's mystique, history and brave people. What a fantastic childhood! My family is from Southend-on-sea. Hence my mum and dad moving to the Oregon seaside away from us many years ago. It was a yearning. A reminder. I too a big history buff. Thank you for this wonderful piece Joyce. Sending you much love for the weekend! oxoxox.
The skunk incident left me with a few long days of washing and gardening therapy unable to escape the smell! lol. Better now. Thank you for your kindness and help here on Substack. Doesn't look like I'll be back on the "carousel" above the home feed, as I've been told "I read my stories." If I didn't read them to my mum who's going blind or John who asks me to maybe I'd get put back there. Of course, nothing makes sense. We all read them or correct something, add a picture in, etc. But yes, that came from a Substack "help" person named Betty. Oh well :). I think if we had a nominal yearly fee to use Substack it could be specific to introducing a "live" help area maybe? Right now it's A.I. and there are two people working there if you're lucky enough to hear back within 2 weeks (lol).
Thank you for your lovely comments, Deborah. What a beautiful connection we’ve got! Much love, big hugs for a good weekend 💙🙏💫🌊🥰🤗
I can well imagine you had a couple of unpleasant days with that smell.
I am really sorry about this Substack stuff,
it certainly doesn’t make sense to me.
I just restack and share as much as I can.
We do have a lovely connection. All God. I'm so glad He is in the details of what is good for us as we battle the worldly things on occasion. I'm doing my thing. I do feel sorry for a few people I know here that have writer's block and feel they have been kicked out of being seen by the community. That's why I have tried. I, myself, have said to God a long, long time ago, "if I'm meant to affect someone, touch someone's heart, I will. He is with me." I will not be defeated. I know Satan comes for those who love Him and I've got braver lately. I take it as a challenge. Nothing new! Thank you so much for sharing my stories. I love sharing yours as well and I love this community. oxox
Absolutely right, Satan’s evil walks this earth in many guises and we need to battle it as much as we can. And we know He is with us 💙🙏
I wish I could get more seen by the community on here, too. I've no idea why Substack favours some things over others. Pretty much all the Posts in the Fiction category aren't even Fiction most of the time! Apparently, it's all to do with 'sustained engagement'. So if Posts are getting consistent Likes and Comments over several days, they will keep showing it to more people. Otherwise, they just sink without trace. Especially on Notes. Which I suppose is a good metaphor on a Post like this! Haha... 😎
Still, it’s sad that some get seen more than others. I always try to restack as much as possible.
It is sad, yes, especially when I've spent hours crafting stuff. But I still enjoyed writing it, and I had fun reading it back to myself, so that's the main thing. Most of my Flash Fiction on Notes does nothing, but they've started doing a bit better now I'm putting them up in small collections as Main Posts... 😎
Hi Chris! I feel like there's so many sudden issues with Substack lately. I saw last night that some people are being unsubscribed to stacks they subscribe to and it's not the owner of the particular Substack that's getting rid of them! Then there's the "carousel" and trying to get your work out there. Then there's no actual help that solves anything. I think that if Substack wants to be amazing and professional they should have a nominal yearly subscription for all of us so we can get a "live help desk," a lot like Apple, Canon and a few others - but then I digress A.I. is where we are going and that's super frustrating. I'm really sorry about the Fiction category getting lost among non-Fiction. Also that whole sustained engagement I was never into because slowly you become a slave to it and then it feels insincere. As a professional photographer for a long time I got fed up with that very fast and that was years ago with Facebook and Instagram back in 2009 through 2011. I would have starved in Paris! ha ha! No tap dancing for me. It's very hard to find a balance as an artist and engager. Most of us are humble with our work and working at "engaging" to be seen doesn't sit well all the time. I knew this would happen here and it's kinda sad. So there's a lot of us that just help each other. Then there's prayer. If we are meant to touch just one person then we are good. Then when it's a few, we feel immensely blessed. I'd rather grow naturally like that. It's taken two years for me to have 300 subscribers and the first 100 was a year and a half. I have about 100 or less reading if that. I heard we should cull who isn't reading because that effects the algorithm too? who knows? Keep writing because it's a joy! Thank you for saying something. Nice to meet you! ox
It’s not just the ‘unsubscribe’ glitch, I was unpleasantly surprised to find recently that ‘I’ had blocked a fellow author whose work I’m always following. Same happened to Writer Pilgrim. Mentioned it to Substack and would get a ‘human’ getting back to me. So far nothing!
A yearly subscription to Substack to get a professional and active support team would be a good start.
And a ‘tip jar’ for authors. I couldn’t afford the monthly payments and there are several I’d love to subscribe to, so choosing one is impossible.
Well I've spoken about this many times with people. There are so many saying they want to read things but the Subscriptions are too high. I can completely understand authors want their work to be valued, and Substack believe they should be paid a fair price, and it's all very admirable, but at the same time I do feel forcing everyone to charge a minimum price that is essentially the same per month as a Netflix/Amazon Subscription is just not realistic. It should be able to be set wherever you want it, even if that is just £1/$1 a month. Or even something like £5/$5 a year! As you can do with books. Because again, it's just not realistic for most people to be able to charge £5/$5 for a Kindle in the same way big Publishers can, but they can charge £2/$2 and it makes it much more likely people will take a chance and support it. I think something like that could work very well here... 😎
Joyce! that's crazy? unsubscribing, bad enough, but blocking without knowing? Something is not right! And I agree with what you said about the tip jar! Substack is exploding as all other social media did and I think it's having a hard time keeping up - and rather than it staying pleasant and fair - it's turned into the same old driving engine where stars from the "likes" and such and everyone else is just trying to swim. All I want to do is write and that's all I did until Notes (and still wrote of course) but I didn't think about anything but writing before Notes! arfff. (face slap). Oh well, goodnight from SoCal. Have a beautiful day! oxox
Hi! Fiction doesn't tend to do that well on here anyway, compared to the 'wellness' category and the 'self-help' and things like that, where people are engaging in the thousands. But Fiction is what I love, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity this site has given me to potentially find some new readers. You're right, the marketing aspect is the hardest part. It's very difficult to get in front of people and say the right things that are going to grab them on Notes or whatever. Some people on here are amazing at it. I really just want to write and have fun, and if other people want to join me on my journey and have fun as well, that is wonderful, whether it's a few people or lots of people. It is far better to just grow naturally and meet people and make connections. Because those are the connections you were supposed to make and the people your work was supposed to find. And it's nice to look at it that way. I've been growing steadily, and I'm at just over 60 after eight months. It would be lovely to hit 100. But you just never know what's going to happen on here. Which is all part of the fun, I guess! I have heard that, about removing inactive Subscribers, because it kills the open rate. Personally, I wouldn't want to remove anyone, because there could be so many reasons why they're not opening at any given time, and they may come back at some point! Thanks for sharing all that. It's nice to meet you, too, and good luck with your writing! 😎
Hey Chris! I so agree and just keep doing you and being you! I realize, like getting caught in yet another social experiment, I was much happier just writing, posting to my Substack and going on with the day! I have been greatly enriched by the community here and my frustration is, like with Instagram, especially during 2020, but long before, (I joined 6 months after its inception- just like here 🤔) they corroded it so much that my friends disappeared from my view. Best to sit back and identify why we write (for me: to leave something behind for my family) and just do it - or quit until it's a genuine pleasure and passion. Stay in touch with who you can - and help each other when you can. I look forward to reading some of your pieces! We are all a bit overwhelmed here, keeping up, but we are a kind community that wants the best for each other! Trying to keep that subculture together from the culture destroying it ..is key! 🤦♀️🤪 God Bless you!! ox
This is beautiful, Joyce. It’s a deeply atmospheric memoir that really drew me in. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, Heidi. 💙🙏💫🌊
This is a lovely ode to the sea! The details about your great-grandfather's stories and the love for old ships really bring the piece to life. The Baudelaure quote is a great closing touch.
Thank you, Ayesha 💙🙏💫🌊
This is a lovely ode to the sea! The details about your great-grandfather's stories and the love for old ships really bring the piece to life. The Baudelaure quote is a great closing touch.
I absolutely love this. I live in St Mary’s PA and our team mascot is the Flying Dutchmen. Of course live in a peculiar German community as well.
Oh my word, that’s wonderful to have that as your mascot. Just goes to show we are all connected. Thank you, Rainey 💙🙏💫