Jim Dale has been one of my best friends for about a decade now. We met in graduate school at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas in Denton. We immediately became friends and began the series of journeys that have brought us to where we are today. There was our trip to Louisiana for a Trump rally, while I was covering the 2020 Presidential Election, and our coverage of the Official Strongman Finals in Arlington, Texas. He’s a hell of a photographer.Anytime I’m in Dallas for work, I stay at his apartment. We watch old movies and swap stories and ideas and intuitions and fears and doubts and heartaches and joys. I’d love to know how many hours we’ve spent talking over the years. It’s a lot.This is the first of many episodes. The theme is seafaring. Jim tells stories from his youth shooting cans on the Texas coast, growing up in oil-patch towns, drifting through music and journalism, and finding himself aboard offshore tugboats in the Gulf of Mexico. From riding out hurricanes in the Merchant Marine to steering crippled vessels through pitch-black swamps, Jim reflects on the moments that forced him to grow up fast.The plan is to do one of these every month. Get ready to learn about one of the loveliest and most insightful people you’ll ever meet.00:00 Nostalgic Beginnings: Family and Early Adventures03:07 Navigating Life: Education and the Navy Experience06:07 Coming of Age: Merchant Marine Adventures09:10 Sailing Through Life: Metaphors and Lessons Learned11:52 Memorable Moments at Sea: Stories from the Ocean14:46 Current Adventures: Life After Retirement17:54 Reflections on Life: Poetry, Literature, and Influence40:59 Untitled-5.mp4---------------https://freedrift.substack.com/