The bell in the head

Generally the topic in any conversation starts with how we are and what we do. The moment i say that im in the merchant navy, many people ask if it is the navy. Then starts the same old scratched grammaphone disk of a story. I explain that this is the commercial sector dealing with cargo. Some people are humble to accept the fact, some are just awed because they are totally ignorant about this field, some ask for experiences however it would be sin not mention the lot who try to be oversmart and prove superior.

They just drop into the scene out of the wide deep blue sky into the situation and the first question they ask is whether i drink, smoke etc. The worst is when they ask if i have a girlfriend every port. In my opinion, i think this is personal stuff and these people have no business to interfere. But however, i do not show out the frustration and explain that it is not a necessity for all sailors to drink and smoke or have a girl every port and that it is left upto the mindset and the choice of the pirticular individual. it takes a long time for me to explain that i am a teetotaller and sober in all ways which these geeks refuse to accept

The next question is about a LOT of ships sinking and sailors gone missing without a clue. At this, i rather start to pity the person rather than curse him or her within me. I just ask them to name one ship that they know about and there comes the answer in a jiffy, "TITANIC". with a chuckle, i ask is that the LOT that u know about?

The next question is the one from the current issue of piracy! People ask if i have seen pirates!!! Now i really start to enjoy the scene. They really are striving pretty hard to provea well informed geek, what for i dont know. Now piracy in the somalian warters had existed for the past 400 years atleast!!! when i say that, they give me a "WTF is this guy speaking of.... maybe he doesnt know ne thing at all" kind of look.

next question arises....

Hey, by the way, what do you do on board? dont u feel bored looking at the sea all the time for months together? Now there are a lot of technical issues involved in the kind of job that i do.Why do such people fail to understan that we have certain duties and responsiblities to fulfill on board and we are very busy with those and hardly get spare time and that we dont sit and ogle at the horizon as they think.

Moreover the concern about what i eat is the funniest part. They tend to ask what kind of fish have i eaten. one such geek asked if i had eaten an octopus!!! I find it hard again to explain or rather make them accept that im a vegetarian.

The same questions are asked by people who really care and are just curious to know my welfare. But the tone and the wordings are defenitely different and its this difference that rings the bells of frustration inside the head.

These geeks, fail to understand that

>more than lives are during daily chores and accidents on land than that lost in a ship.

>a person can be a drunkyard, chainsmoker, a drug addict,an womaniser and a rapist on land too!!!

>moreover, to do or get the above, even a sailor has to go on land!!!

>And many more such points

Personally, i do not blame these people. What reflects in their speech is what they have heard, though some have the ability to amplify what they have heard, a thousand times and project other people as bloody thirsy desperate devils with horns, running around with red hot tongs in hand aiming at the arse of others!!!

It is also the seafaring community that needs to be blamed. But now the senario is changing slowly. There are better and more sensible people coming in at the present times. But the past of this field does have a lot of marks on the white paper thats going to be visible in the future too. I seriousely hope the senario changes fast letting these dark marks to fadeand making the paper white again!