Stories that Bind Us

There is such automatic and common acceptance of our stories and beliefs that don’t serve us. We had a daily experience of this in September.

By Labor Day most of the boaters and island home vacationers we met were heading to their home ports, returning to their primary homes. By the second week in September places that were bustling in late August were 80% deserted. We asked people about this startling and abrupt drop in population and often the response we got was, “after Labor Day it’s time to go home.” If pressed, people would explain that the weather deteriorates, everything closes and the season is over.

We all know the origins of the end of summer routine which involve school starting and the responsibilities inherent in that experience. Yet beyond that simple origin lies unquestioned beliefs and routines.

At least 90% of the people we observed and or spoke to were retired or did not have the responsibility of getting children to school on time. They closed up their homes and left their boats after Labor Day. Yet there were exceptions – the outliers if you will.

These people were thrilled to have “the summer people” gone and to have some of the best weather, nicest sailing, lazy unhurried days to savor. They told us that contrary to belief and story September and October were often the nicest months to enjoy in the San Juan Islands. Birds migrate, fishing is good, there is time to leisurely chat with locals, not be rushed in restaurants, rates dropped for being off season.

We observed Europeans who were accustomed to more than 2 weeks of vacation, Canadians who enjoyed the empty anchorages and marinas and the people who were no longer accepting that vacations were either limited to 2 weeks or terminated within a few days of Labor Day.

The strength and acceptance of the vacation story and the benefits of overriding it caused us to look at other aspects of what we accept or believe and don’t actually question with any degree of rigor. It is an ongoing inquiry that calls us to examine much of what we take for granted and accept as true or perhaps “just the way things are.”