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Tattoo

If I could have any tattoo I would have a Scorpio, and on the right side would be the coordinates 52.1307 Degrees N and 3.7837 Degrees W. On the left side, I would have the coordinates 18.9712 degrees N and 72.2852 degrees W, and in the center bottom 42.3736 degrees N and 71.1097 degrees W.

I would put this tattoo on my bottom part of my left lung because it is closest to my heart. I chose this tattoo because the Scorpio is my zodiac sign. The right side coordinates are my mom’s ancestors' homeland and the left side is my dad's ancestral homeland. The center bottom is my birth place. The colors on the Scorpio represent the galaxy where all the zodiac signs roam.

This is why I chose this very important tattoo.

Tattoo

If I could have any tattoo I would have a Scorpio, and on the right side would be the coordinates 52.1307 Degrees N and 3.7837 Degrees W. On the left side, I would have the coordinates 18.9712 degrees N and 72.2852 degrees W, and in the center bottom 42.3736 degrees N and 71.1097 degrees W.

I would put this tattoo on my bottom part of my left lung because it is closest to my heart. I chose this tattoo because the Scorpio is my zodiac sign. The right side coordinates are my mom’s ancestors' homeland and the left side is my dad's ancestral homeland. The center bottom is my birth place. The colors on the Scorpio represent the galaxy where all the zodiac signs roam.

This is why I chose this very important tattoo.

My fake award is called the Outstanding Cleaner Upper Award.

To get this award you have to be very good at cleaning stuff up, such as your room, the kitchen, or pretty much anywhere in the house. This award is meant for all people in quarantine because it gives you something to do. I think I deserve this award because I like cleaning stuff that's dirty and I really like cleaning up my room and rearranging stuff.

I think this is a good award because people who clean for a business don’t get an award for it. To get this award you have to have a space that is very clean that you cleaned yourself or you have to have a job that involves cleaning a lot. If you have a job like that, your boss has to say that you have done an outstanding job.

NOTE: My hero is Joshua Slocum, the first man to sail around the world alone. He began his voyage in 1895 when my grandfather, his second cousin, was only 3 years old. Joshua’s great grandfather is my great-great-great-great-grandfather! Both Joshua and my grandfather went to the same one-room schoolhouse on Mt. Hanley, in Nova Scotia, although not at the same time. I admire Joshua for his ingenuity, his courage, and for being enormously knowledgeable about all kinds of things, even though he stopped going to school in 8th grade.

Dear Lee Ann,

Thank you for your letter. I did not know that my second cousin, Harry, had made his way to the United States, married, and had a son, Neal, your father. Truth be told, I had lost contact with many members of our Slocum family once I settled on my farm in Martha’s Vineyard.

You are right to say that my life was one of daring adventures and that it took courage to attempt a voyage through treacherous seas and vast oceans by myself, in a sailing ship built by my own two hands no less. But I was well-prepared, and my years at sea had strengthened me for the hardships ahead.

Well, honestly, I could not anticipate some of the challenges, such as the time off the coast of Spain when I ate spoiled food and started hallucinating! Imagine seeing one of the explorerColumbus’ crew standing before you on the deck, knowing all the while that this person was long dead and that, of course, there truly was no other crew member aboard. Thank goodness he was a friendly spirit who wished me no harm. No indeed! He actually told me to rest while he steered the Spray (my vessel) safety through a storm.

Lee Ann, you asked how I endured the months of solitude with nothing more than the waves of the ocean to keep me company. Well, one of the most important things I did was keep my mind occupied. I read and reread the many books I brought with me.

I wrote daily in my journal which, as you know, became the start of my best-selling book, “Sailing Around the World Alone.” I tinkered with equipment, repaired torn sails, took constant navigational readings, and the like. Truly, I was never bored nor lonely.

I am happy to learn that you are a teacher - a noble profession indeed! I recall many happy memories as a young lad at Mt. Hanley School. Youngsters from all around would gather in one room to learn arithmetic, reading, penmanship, and history. My teacher was patient and kind - and much more understanding of my love of the sea than my father, who wanted me to work in his boot shop.

What kinds of things are your students interested in? What dreams do they have? I suppose in your modern times, young people have many more choices than I did in my day. But one piece of advice I would give them and you: Set high goals for yourself and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t reach them. People laughed in my face when they saw me building my boat, the Spray! They mocked me and said that I’d never make it the next harbor, let alone around the world. Well, who's laughing now?!

I hope you continue to write me now and again. I am more than happy to respond in return. It is comforting to know that future generations remember a crusty old sailor like me! I was not always easy to get along with back in the day, but my heart is softened by your warm words.

I wish you and your family well, Lee Ann.

Yours truly,

Joshua