What a difference.
I was so thrilled about the results that I couldn't help noticing the mistakes other folks had made with their lines. And because I was so satisifed that my system worked, I felt inspired to tell every other boatowner in the marina that in order to secure their vessels properly, it was necessary to tie their dock lines just like mine.
My method worked for me ... so why shouldn't it work for everybody else just the same?
--- ---
The marina has some pretty stern commandments about things like leaving dead batteries and gasoline cans on the dock (and some stern consequences to go with them), but has no commandment dictating that "all vessels must be secured in this way" ... which leaves each owner free to choose how to keep his boat from (a) slamming into the dock, and (b) making him seasick while still tied up in the marina.
Just because the way I tie off my lines works for me and keeps my boat from slamming into a piling doesn't in any way mean that my method is perfect or that the marina has mandated "The X way is the right way." Inside the marina, the marina makes the rules and only the marina is always right.
Oh ... and the marina better not ever catch me telling anybody that "The marina says that everybody has to tie their lines the X way ... just like I do."
The more I started thinking about it, the more it seemed like tying off dock lines sure has a lot in common with man-made rules about "What's right" and "What's wrong" that try to equate themselves with God's commandments.
Because inside the universe (and that includes his church), only God gets to make the commandments ... and only God is right every time.
