Member-only story
Woman on a Ship: Leaving Hardships at Sea, Keeping the Good Afloat
After six months at sea, I came home gray-haired. And I was only 26 years old
Non-members can read this story via a friend link
Lena B. — a charming, witty, cheerful person with an open, friendly face, light strands of sun-kissed hair, and large blue eyes. Once, Konetsky’s books beckoned her to the sea and the light… And it happened at the dawn of Gorbachev’s perestroika (1986).
I’ve interviewed numerous famous and successful individuals, yet it’s often the so-called “ordinary” people, like Lena, who turn out to be far more extraordinary and captivating storytellers.
Life has its white and black stripes, along with phosphorescent ones, when all senses are heightened, and a day can feel like a week. You remember these moments for a long time, often comparing them to the rest of your life. Lena`s story that unfolds in this unhurried monologue might seem like the cliché of the ‘woman on a ship,’ yet it may hold a deeper meaning for some. And so, the story begins…
In Nakhodka, where I resided, the sea was the heart of life; no other industries existed. Husbands and boyfriends were at sea, and conversations always circled departures and returns. After university, I was assigned to…
