and move on.
The Duke of Wellington (of Waterloo fame) said of the French, “They planned their campaigns just as you might make a splendid set of harnesses. It looks very well; and answers very well; until it gets broken; and then you are done for. Now I made my campaigns of ropes. If anything went wrong, I tied a knot and went on”
I think of that quote often when things are not going just as planned, but philosophy is not really the point of this post. I just thought I’d throw it in there.
Today, I want to talk about actual knots, because I found this really cool website that shows you how to tie them in a way that you can actually understand.
Now, you may ask yourself why this is important.
Maybe it isn’t.
You may get through your entire life without having to tie a knot.
But I spent 19 days on a boat once. It turned out to be useful to know how to tie up to a dock. And an anchor. If it had been a sail boat, I’d have needed a lot more knots—and probably a lawyer. Sailing involves a lot more judgment calls than power boating, and the MotH* and I would probably have killed each other—after we ran into a lot of things. I might get a Windpaddle some day (when I’m feeling flush) and just try it, but that’s another post, too.
The thing about me and knots is roughly the same thing about me and Gin Rummy.
I have had Gin Rummy explained to me countless times. I’ve played Gin Rummy. If you asked me to sit down for a game right now, you would have to explain it to me again. I cannot retain the information.
I don’t really understand that, because I can remember how to play poker and Old Maid and even Piquet (which almost nobody knows how to play nowadays). I can’t remember how to play Mau-Mau, but that doesn’t count. I’m convinced my brother was making up those four thousand rules as he went along.
Anyhow, me and cards—that’s probably also a post for another day (lots of diverse post ideas in this one, and I still haven’t gotten to the point!).
The point is I have trouble remembering how to tie knots. Even the Square Knot that comes with a mnemonic (right over left and left over right) causes me trouble. Is right always right? Or do you switch hands when the rope crosses?
But I’ve found animatedknots.com, and I am going to master some things. I’ll probably never know how to play Gin Rummy, but this time next year, I am going to know how to tie a bowline!
* MotH = Man of the House
