The area of a boat forward of the mast is the domain of the common sailor, hence “Before The Mast”. The author is a Harvard graduate that commits himself to duty on board a cargo ship sailing around the horn in the late 1830’s. I listened to much of this epic story while working on Seeker and it underscored for me how weak we have become. My muscles are sore, it’s hot, it’s noisy, it’s dirty, it’s…. Its nothing by comparison to the life of those crewmen. Beating their fist against the rigging, high above the deck, to keep their fingers from freezing, and hauling cargo through the surf and across the rocks barefoot for months on end with only Sundays to rest. I am nothing compared to those crewmen. What an inspirational message.