Torpedo

I recently was at a retreat in Rhode Island. The place we stayed was on an small outcrop called Goat Island. It used to be a naval torpedo production and testing site. The hotel where I stayed was filled with pictures of torpedoes being tested, built, retrieved and evaluated. It got me thinking about the metaphor of torpedoes and ships.

In life we are sometimes torpedoes and ships.

Like ships, we go through life moving towards a destination. Sometimes, it is slow and stately (like the big cruise ships), sometimes fast and thrilling (like speedboats), and other times just weighed down as we move through our routines (like cargo ships).

Like torpedoes, sometimes we are on a mission, focused and undeterred as we hurtle towards our target. That focus maybe towards a destructive end (for us or others), or it may in an attempt to avoid greater destruction (like stopping a ship intent on causing greater harm).

There are positives and negatives in both metaphors.

Torpedo like behavior can be positive:

• Stopping a bad idea in its tracks
• Being focused and on mission
• Dealing with a bad habit or addiction

Torpedo like behavior can be negative:

• Damaging good relationships 
• Being so focused on a mission that you forget about the important things in life (loved ones especially)
• Moving so fast in a straight line that you cannot adapt to the changing situation

Ship like behavior can be positive:

• Moving towards a chosen destination with purpose and planning
• Providing means for others to get there with you
• Sheer enjoyment and fun in life

Ship like behavior can be negative:

• Vulnerable to outside attack
• Swayed by currents and winds too easily
• Without power, you can drift off course

So what are you in life - a ship or a torpedo? More importantly, is that the right thing to be for this season of life?

And of course...its the worst thing to be a torpedo when you need to be a ship and be a ship when you need to be a torpedo!