Line Upon Line

Ferry lines are not for sissys.

I have lived on this Island for 9 years now--nigh on to a decade. And I can tell you with some authority that life dictated by the comings and goings of a ferry builds character.

Now I know that there are a great many touristy types who find an afternoon floating on a ferry to be a jaunty diversion from the hustle and bustle of city life. But, taking a float on a boat once a month or once in your lifetime just doesn't pass muster. Real character comes to those who wait and wait and wait for a lifetime. ....right? I hope so, cuz' I surely do wait a lot.

There are days when there is nothing I'd rather do than sit and wait in a ferry line.

Perhaps there is a pink sky over the water or even an orca or two to watch. The ambiance and romance of the Island merits leisurely daydreaming, painting, photography & romantic walks while waiting for the next boat. Some Islanders knit while they wait or chat with one of the many folks they're bound to know in the line. Many of us read. More and more people are turning to their cell phones for a ferry line chat or maybe a computer-generated video game or two.

Probably the most popular ferry line diversion is sleeping. I know I've caught more than a few z's while sitting in line or crossing the great waters from Vashon to Seattle. Waiting in the ferry line can be nothing short of rejuvinating.

Except when it's not.

Rejuvination doesn't come as easily when you and your friend have been out all day with five children under five in the car and you are one car short of making the next boat. There you suddenly sit, after having raced to make it to the ferry in time, faced with perhaps an hour of confinement in a car of screaming, tired, hungry, children and you look at each other and say, "and we live on an Island because....?"

Or perhaps you have a plane to catch and the ferry decides to break down entirely and the replacement boat won't be along for a bit.... or what about that extremely important meeting that you are in charge of but are now going to be an hour or more late for just because the ferry line was inexplicably long on that particular afternoon? Suddenly, even the pink sky doesn't do it for you. You get that hemmed in, stuck-on-a-rock frustrated feeling that only a ferry line wait can do for you. Now that, my friends, is character in the making.

I once drove over an hour with a screaming baby in my car through rush-hour traffic to try and make a ferry only to arrive and find the ferry completely out of service with no substitute ferry coming until the next day. "Sorry, lady, you'll have to drive to the North end ferry" (that's about another hour away). When all was said and done, it took me close to four hours to finally get home when I could have driven home in ten minutes if there had been a bridge to my Island. I believe that was the closest I'd ever come to actually swearing at a stranger. But I didn't.

What have I learned from all this waiting? Well, I've learned to always keep water, food, a change of clothes, movies (and a DVD player), books, and blankets in my car because I live on an Island. I've made a greater commitment to learn to knit one day and listen to more books on CD about things I'm interested in. I've learned that it doesn't do a lot of good to get angry about waiting, but I find that I still do. I'm working on that. I've learned to be a little more flexible -- maybe even a lot more.

The ferry does have it's positive benefits. The crime rate on the Island is low. After all, who wants to pay to come onto the Island so they can rob your home and then wait for a ferry to get away with your loot? Puget Sound makes a mighty fine moat around our "castle."

I've often wondered if I save more money by living on the Island even though the cost of living is slightly higher to live here. I find that by living on the Island I consolidate my "off-Island" errands and driving needs for maximum benefit to conserve on ferry fares. Therefore, I also don't shop as much as others might. (I will confess to "on-line" shopping to save "off-Island" excursions.) Still, I think I probably save a bundle just by not running to Target whenever the notion strikes me.

Another ferry benefit is being able to leave a dull meeting at a moment's notice simply by saying, "I'm sorry, but I have a ferry to catch. Gotta' run!" It's always a fact and you never have to mention WHEN the ferry is actually leaving. Downside is when you'd rather STAY at a party or social gathering and you really can't because the "darn" ferry is shutting down for the night.

One of the best benefits of a ferry-dominated lifestyle is knowing just when your guests will arrive based on knowing which ferry they are on. You know exactly when to put the steaks on the grill so they'll be perfect upon their arrival or just how much time you have to throw all of your clutter into the closet before your guests walk through your door.

If your guests have over-extended their stay simply pull out the ferry schedule. "Oh my, you had better be going if you want to catch that 8:40 boat or you'll be in for a very long wait at the dock!" Works every time. Of course, we always have an extra bed for guests who we wish would just miss the boat and stay a little longer.

Why is Island living so notoriously lazy and languid? Because anybody who stays on the Island has passed the "wait test." We know how to take it easy when life hands us a lemon or a problem that seems immovable because we've been practicing. It's not lazy living, it's patient living.

Patient living while we wait for our ship to come in, whatever that might be.