The Storm at Sea
The storm at sea. The waves crashed and the wind howled with all the fury and passion of an enraged tyrant. Will the boat sink? Will there be survivors? Or will this be the end for the brave sailors on board?
The sailors, in a panic, turned to their captain.
“He’s not available now. He’s doing his last prayers,” said the first mate.
Hope was gone. Luck had run out. The poor sailors would meet their end.
A gigantic wave came crashing down on the boat. Ka-boom! The boat was shattered. The men who knew how to swim swam for their lives. Those who didn’t perished.
Of the crew of one hundred sailors, only twenty survived and made it to the island. Where were they? The navigator disappeared in the shipwreck. Without his compass the entire crew was lost.
It is during these times when we are completely lost that we find ourselves.
Yes, there was plenty of fear. But in a sense the crew was free. Society with its strict rules – they were on an island all alone, free from the laws and the social expectations and all of the other restrictions society imposes. They were liberated. The captain, who ruled with an iron fist, was dead. So now the sailors were free. What new social order will they create on this island of paradise where freedom flows like water from the streams?
The void after the tyrannical control of the past can create either freedom or anarchy. Or both at the same time.
“As first mate, I should assume control,” Yves announced.
“No, Yves. You are of the past. We are freed from the chains of the past. The captain is dead. Finally we are free. Down with the tyrants of the past!” Jules proclaimed.
“So it’s a mutiny?”
“Not a mutiny. A revolution.”
“So it’s treason.”
“It wasn’t our doing to break down the system. God – destiny – freed us and led us to this island. And God gave us our innate freedoms and our natural rights that the captain took away from us. Finally we have the opportunity to win back our freedom. Down with the tyrants!”
The sailors shouted in support of Jules. They encircled Yves.
“Treason! Mutiny!” Yves shouted.
“We choose freedom. Down with the tyrant!” proclaimed Jules.
“Don’t touch me!” Yves shouted as he took out his revolver.
The crowd, in self defense, massacred Yves. The first act of the new order was a murder. Sometimes one must cut ties with the past in order to create something new.
“I take it upon myself to lead our new nation,” Jules announced and the crowd rejoiced. “I’ll be the President. You, Leon, you can be Vice President. Phil, you’ll be chef.”
“But, but I’m only a cook.”
“It was always your dream to become a chef, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Today we are cutting ties with the past. You have all the training of a chef. Before, on the boat, you were limited to being only a cook. But today you are free. Your dream has come true. Congratulations. You are now a chef. Now go cook us a nutritious and delicious meal to feed the masses. I believe in you. And your nation depends on you. We need you to be a chef. Phil, this is your moment to shine.”
And Phil was the best chef in the entire Indian Ocean.
The carpenter built houses. The fishermen fished fresh fish. The colony lived on the island in peace. Everyone prospered. And freedom flowed like water from the streams.
All of a sudden, a search and rescue boat reached the island. “Oh! Sorry it took us so long to find you. The weather was terrible with zero visibility and we weren’t sure if there were any survivors from your ship that sank. Finally! Thank god we found you. Come with me, I’ll take you back to Nantes. I’m sure you’re dying to come home.”
Leon, the Vice President, looked at Jules, the President. Jules nodded.
They didn’t want to leave their island of paradise. They paid off the search and rescue crew who returned to France.
“We didn’t find anyone,” they reported to Paris.
And the sailors lived on the island of paradise, free and in peace.
A Note on The Storm at Sea
I titled this piece “The Storm at Sea” because that was the act of God that shook things up and created the new world order for the sailors. Change comes slowly to those who work for progress. Sometimes we have to shake things up a bit to get to paradise. And when the rescue crew comes to return us to our harsh reality, we may not want to leave.
But why did they prosper on the island? They should have starved, cut off from society with only twenty men. But we can learn from their success. Those who were good at cooking became chefs. Those who were good at building became carpenters. There was no favoritism or political considerations or social pressures based on inherited social standing. When your survival depends on it and you are on a deserted island, you maximize all of the resources and talents so everyone can contribute to the best of their abilities for the survival of the collective.
There may have been historical inspiration for the names. The President, Jules, could be named after the four Jules who founded the Third Republic in France: Jules Ferry, Jules Favre, Jules Simon and Jules Grévy. Jules, as all four of them happened to be named, built democracy in modern France, just as Jules in this story develops democracy on the island. As Emperor Napoléon III’s dictatorship falls, just as the captain’s reign ends, Jules creates a new system that is democratic and beneficial to all. Léon, his Vice President, could have been inspired by Léon Blum, the first socialist Prime Minister in France. We can see the themes of a revolution: the people occupying the powers that once oppressed them for the benefit of the collective – the proletariat – without the tyranny of the oppressor, be it the captain or Hitler or the bourgeoisie.
My question to you, the reader, is: what will your role be on the island? What are your talents? What can you contribute to this world? And once you join this utopia, would you ever want to leave?
This story was originally written in French. As with any translation, the original text always contains the purest, most articulate expression of ideas that are fresh and creative and not lost in translation. However, I wanted to translate it to English so all readers could access it.
Utopia
“Ships on the horizon, sir.”
“How many?”
“Seventeen warships.”
“What flag?”
“France.”
Sometimes it is easier to fight your enemies than to face yourself. An enemy warship can easily be destroyed without any guilt. But facing your own reality – with all of your country’s complex social problems – it’s hard to not get sucked in and let your own emotions get in the way. You cannot conquer something you are already a part of. Or are they? The sailors lived in isolation on this deserted island in the Indian Ocean, far away from the despots in Paris. They prospered beyond measure. And now their utopia had been discovered.
The first boat landed on the island. The sailors living on the island came to meet the intruders.
As two more boats landed, the ship’s captain took out handcuffs.
“In the name of his majesty the emperor of France, you are under arrest.”
“What for?” demanded Jules.
“For mutiny, desertion and murder.”
Jules paused.
“Well, for mutiny, we had no choice. Our captain was dead. So we couldn’t follow his orders. We had to organize on our own.
“For desertion, our capsized ship brought us here. We didn’t flee France. We were stuck on this island by no choice of our own. The storm brought us here.
“As for murder, well, we are a new social order. How many people died when the French nation formed? And in the French Revolution? And the Reign of Terror? And the Napoleonic Wars? And the bloodshed in the Revolution of 1848? And – ”
“You killed Yves Bouchard.”
“We had to. It was either our survival or his. We would all suffer if he lived. Our new nation depended on it. Likewise, how many Frenchmen died in the guillotine during the French Revolution? Individual deaths are an unfortunate but necessary casualty of nation-building.”
“Look, Jules, I don’t need your philosophical manifestos. The emperor has spared your life. I’m not going to kill you. You should be grateful for the mercy being afforded to you. You killed a man and your life is spared. Now get in these handcuffs. I’m taking you to the political prison in New Caledonia.”
Jules looked at the seven other row boats that had just reached shore, each filled with a dozen soldiers with muskets and capes and képis. His men on the island were outnumbered ten to one.
Jules sighed. “Well, let me at least give you a tour of the island first. That way you’ll know what you’re missing when you row me out of here.”
“What do you mean?” asked the captain.
“This island is paradise. A functional utopia. You see that housing complex over there?”
“Yes.”
“Two carpenters built that.”
“That entire suburb was built by two men?”
“Building was their passion. Now that they’re free from the pressure of their family’s expectations and the social class restrictions and corrupt laws that prevent them from getting their building licenses – ”
“Hey!” interjected the captain, “I was Building Code Commissioner in Bordeaux! I issued those licenses.”
“Yes, and you see, now you won’t need bribes to issue professional licenses. Now politics won’t bog you down. You can do whatever you want,” proclaimed Jules.
“I always did want to be a painter,” admitted the captain.
“Then let me show you the most beautiful view of the sunrise on the cliffs. Come with me.”
“But, but – but my ship. We’re supposed to arrest you and take you to prison in New Caledonia.”
“Then just stay here,” Jules replied.
“I wish I could. I’ve never felt so free. So happy. Like I could reach my dreams.”
“Then here’s what we’ll do.” Jules whispered plans in the captain’s ear.
The ship returned to France. The crew was told to say that they did not find the island. And that the captain died at sea. But he did not die – he was reborn. The captain lived a long and happy life in utopia on the island of paradise. He became a painter and award-winning artist and most of all he became happier than he ever was before. And Jules was not handcuffed and sent to political prison in New Caledonia. Everyone prospered on the island with their freedom. Their talents went to good use, free from society’s restrictions and expectations. And the men lived in peace on this island of utopia.
The storm at sea. The waves crashed and the wind howled with all the fury and passion of an enraged tyrant. Will the boat sink? Will there be survivors? Or will this be the end for the brave sailors on board?
The sailors, in a panic, turned to their captain.
“He’s not available now. He’s doing his last prayers,” said the first mate.
Hope was gone. Luck had run out. The poor sailors would meet their end.
A gigantic wave came crashing down on the boat. Ka-boom! The boat was shattered. The men who knew how to swim swam for their lives. Those who didn’t perished.
Of the crew of one hundred sailors, only twenty survived and made it to the island. Where were they? The navigator disappeared in the shipwreck. Without his compass the entire crew was lost.
It is during these times when we are completely lost that we find ourselves.
Yes, there was plenty of fear. But in a sense the crew was free. Society with its strict rules – they were on an island all alone, free from the laws and the social expectations and all of the other restrictions society imposes. They were liberated. The captain, who ruled with an iron fist, was dead. So now the sailors were free. What new social order will they create on this island of paradise where freedom flows like water from the streams?
The void after the tyrannical control of the past can create either freedom or anarchy. Or both at the same time.
“As first mate, I should assume control,” Yves announced.
“No, Yves. You are of the past. We are freed from the chains of the past. The captain is dead. Finally we are free. Down with the tyrants of the past!” Jules proclaimed.
“So it’s a mutiny?”
“Not a mutiny. A revolution.”
“So it’s treason.”
“It wasn’t our doing to break down the system. God – destiny – freed us and led us to this island. And God gave us our innate freedoms and our natural rights that the captain took away from us. Finally we have the opportunity to win back our freedom. Down with the tyrants!”
The sailors shouted in support of Jules. They encircled Yves.
“Treason! Mutiny!” Yves shouted.
“We choose freedom. Down with the tyrant!” proclaimed Jules.
“Don’t touch me!” Yves shouted as he took out his revolver.
The crowd, in self defense, massacred Yves. The first act of the new order was a murder. Sometimes one must cut ties with the past in order to create something new.
“I take it upon myself to lead our new nation,” Jules announced and the crowd rejoiced. “I’ll be the President. You, Leon, you can be Vice President. Phil, you’ll be chef.”
“But, but I’m only a cook.”
“It was always your dream to become a chef, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Today we are cutting ties with the past. You have all the training of a chef. Before, on the boat, you were limited to being only a cook. But today you are free. Your dream has come true. Congratulations. You are now a chef. Now go cook us a nutritious and delicious meal to feed the masses. I believe in you. And your nation depends on you. We need you to be a chef. Phil, this is your moment to shine.”
And Phil was the best chef in the entire Indian Ocean.
The carpenter built houses. The fishermen fished fresh fish. The colony lived on the island in peace. Everyone prospered. And freedom flowed like water from the streams.
All of a sudden, a search and rescue boat reached the island. “Oh! Sorry it took us so long to find you. The weather was terrible with zero visibility and we weren’t sure if there were any survivors from your ship that sank. Finally! Thank god we found you. Come with me, I’ll take you back to Nantes. I’m sure you’re dying to come home.”
Leon, the Vice President, looked at Jules, the President. Jules nodded.
They didn’t want to leave their island of paradise. They paid off the search and rescue crew who returned to France.
“We didn’t find anyone,” they reported to Paris.
And the sailors lived on the island of paradise, free and in peace.
A Note on The Storm at Sea
I titled this piece “The Storm at Sea” because that was the act of God that shook things up and created the new world order for the sailors. Change comes slowly to those who work for progress. Sometimes we have to shake things up a bit to get to paradise. And when the rescue crew comes to return us to our harsh reality, we may not want to leave.
But why did they prosper on the island? They should have starved, cut off from society with only twenty men. But we can learn from their success. Those who were good at cooking became chefs. Those who were good at building became carpenters. There was no favoritism or political considerations or social pressures based on inherited social standing. When your survival depends on it and you are on a deserted island, you maximize all of the resources and talents so everyone can contribute to the best of their abilities for the survival of the collective.
There may have been historical inspiration for the names. The President, Jules, could be named after the four Jules who founded the Third Republic in France: Jules Ferry, Jules Favre, Jules Simon and Jules Grévy. Jules, as all four of them happened to be named, built democracy in modern France, just as Jules in this story develops democracy on the island. As Emperor Napoléon III’s dictatorship falls, just as the captain’s reign ends, Jules creates a new system that is democratic and beneficial to all. Léon, his Vice President, could have been inspired by Léon Blum, the first socialist Prime Minister in France. We can see the themes of a revolution: the people occupying the powers that once oppressed them for the benefit of the collective – the proletariat – without the tyranny of the oppressor, be it the captain or Hitler or the bourgeoisie.
My question to you, the reader, is: what will your role be on the island? What are your talents? What can you contribute to this world? And once you join this utopia, would you ever want to leave?
This story was originally written in French. As with any translation, the original text always contains the purest, most articulate expression of ideas that are fresh and creative and not lost in translation. However, I wanted to translate it to English so all readers could access it.
Utopia
“Ships on the horizon, sir.”
“How many?”
“Seventeen warships.”
“What flag?”
“France.”
Sometimes it is easier to fight your enemies than to face yourself. An enemy warship can easily be destroyed without any guilt. But facing your own reality – with all of your country’s complex social problems – it’s hard to not get sucked in and let your own emotions get in the way. You cannot conquer something you are already a part of. Or are they? The sailors lived in isolation on this deserted island in the Indian Ocean, far away from the despots in Paris. They prospered beyond measure. And now their utopia had been discovered.
The first boat landed on the island. The sailors living on the island came to meet the intruders.
As two more boats landed, the ship’s captain took out handcuffs.
“In the name of his majesty the emperor of France, you are under arrest.”
“What for?” demanded Jules.
“For mutiny, desertion and murder.”
Jules paused.
“Well, for mutiny, we had no choice. Our captain was dead. So we couldn’t follow his orders. We had to organize on our own.
“For desertion, our capsized ship brought us here. We didn’t flee France. We were stuck on this island by no choice of our own. The storm brought us here.
“As for murder, well, we are a new social order. How many people died when the French nation formed? And in the French Revolution? And the Reign of Terror? And the Napoleonic Wars? And the bloodshed in the Revolution of 1848? And – ”
“You killed Yves Bouchard.”
“We had to. It was either our survival or his. We would all suffer if he lived. Our new nation depended on it. Likewise, how many Frenchmen died in the guillotine during the French Revolution? Individual deaths are an unfortunate but necessary casualty of nation-building.”
“Look, Jules, I don’t need your philosophical manifestos. The emperor has spared your life. I’m not going to kill you. You should be grateful for the mercy being afforded to you. You killed a man and your life is spared. Now get in these handcuffs. I’m taking you to the political prison in New Caledonia.”
Jules looked at the seven other row boats that had just reached shore, each filled with a dozen soldiers with muskets and capes and képis. His men on the island were outnumbered ten to one.
Jules sighed. “Well, let me at least give you a tour of the island first. That way you’ll know what you’re missing when you row me out of here.”
“What do you mean?” asked the captain.
“This island is paradise. A functional utopia. You see that housing complex over there?”
“Yes.”
“Two carpenters built that.”
“That entire suburb was built by two men?”
“Building was their passion. Now that they’re free from the pressure of their family’s expectations and the social class restrictions and corrupt laws that prevent them from getting their building licenses – ”
“Hey!” interjected the captain, “I was Building Code Commissioner in Bordeaux! I issued those licenses.”
“Yes, and you see, now you won’t need bribes to issue professional licenses. Now politics won’t bog you down. You can do whatever you want,” proclaimed Jules.
“I always did want to be a painter,” admitted the captain.
“Then let me show you the most beautiful view of the sunrise on the cliffs. Come with me.”
“But, but – but my ship. We’re supposed to arrest you and take you to prison in New Caledonia.”
“Then just stay here,” Jules replied.
“I wish I could. I’ve never felt so free. So happy. Like I could reach my dreams.”
“Then here’s what we’ll do.” Jules whispered plans in the captain’s ear.
The ship returned to France. The crew was told to say that they did not find the island. And that the captain died at sea. But he did not die – he was reborn. The captain lived a long and happy life in utopia on the island of paradise. He became a painter and award-winning artist and most of all he became happier than he ever was before. And Jules was not handcuffed and sent to political prison in New Caledonia. Everyone prospered on the island with their freedom. Their talents went to good use, free from society’s restrictions and expectations. And the men lived in peace on this island of utopia.
