Sailing ships in Húsavík
Soon the last of the visiting boats of Sail Husavik 2011 will leave. It’s surely been amazing to have these beautiful ships in town. There is something mesmerizing about sailing ships. They’re a reminder of the past, a reminder of how quickly the present can turn into history.
We are gripped by the same feeling when watching an old car or plane. These things evoke a sense of history and nostalgia. I don’t doubt that these beautiful vessels that have graced us with their presence these weeks have already cast a spell on many a child in Húsavík. The sight of these majestic boats is forever ingrained in their tender memory.
Sure enough, these ships represent a different time and though the nostalgia may be shrouded in a rosy halo, do we really want those times back? I would reconsider this because these relics of the past are also a reminder of man’s triumph in science and technology. We have a tendency to forget or “smooth” unpleasantries of the past and only remember “the good old times.”
By saving and restoring old boats, cars and planes we are saving the very things that remind us where we come from and what we’ve become.
Flosi
