Ocean view

This week's Sunday Scribblings prompt is "ocean":

We found ourselves on a rocking boat in the Atlantic. Hours of sea spray dosing us made us feel tired, our skin covered in salt crystals. Yet we energetically checked our gear in preparation for the dive of the day: the wreck of a 19th-century royal mail steamer, whose innards splayed out below us like a human rib cage.

Our leader settled us as we readied to enter the water. He told us how the ship had left a nearby island heading back to Great Britain, with a large crew and an experienced captain. Somehow they got caught in a gale, an unusually strong one, and navigating incorrectly, found themselves near an unusual configuration of huge jutting rocks. In the darkness, this invisible peril rose out of the waves without warning (the rocks were visible clearly in daytime). This nighttime storm thrust the ship squarely upon the sharpest one, delivering a huge gash to the sturdy underbelly, and sinking it immediately.

We listened, captivated, imagining the fear and panic this crew must have felt. I felt deep sadness at hearing the tragedy's details, and our leader asked us how we felt. Many shared similar senses of loss, at how unjust life can be, how quickly life can be taken.

Then our leader had one last fact to share.

"The ocean doesn't care," he said quietly.

I remember squinting my eyes and coughing as I took in what he said.

"The ocean doesn't care," he said again quietly. "And because the ocean doesn't care if you are the nicest person in the world, or the best wife or mother, or that you've got a great career back home, or that a million people depend on you, you have to treat it with respect. The ocean has a power and unpredictability that no one can fully grasp until they've felt it. Yet to fully experience it is risky, and I don't recommend surfing in hurricanes or riding out sea squalls on a boat."

Then he took a deep breath and continued. "Today the sea is choppy, and the currents are stronger than usual. We've ridden hours to get here, and we're going to dive. Remember that the ocean is just the ocean. If you don't follow procedure, and you wind up making a fatal mistake, don't rage at the ocean — rage at yourself as you join this steamer ship's crew below us." He then turned to check the oxygen level in his tanks.

All of us made it back to our land lives. I've told this tale many times in the past few years — in thanks to the leader who kept us safe, and in honor of the sailors, long gone, who we visited below.

For more takes on "ocean," click here.

Comments

[rel]

Kristin,
"The ocean doesn't care."
This short sentence is profound and profetic.
It gives me pause and a renewed perspective on life.
rel

[Mardougrrl]

Yep, that's the sentence that got me too..."the ocean doesn't care." It's weirdly comforting. Nothing personal.

I don't know whether this is fiction or not (which is a sign of your skill) but I really enjoyed it.

[angel]

wow...
"the ocean doesn't care"
...i think thats the most insightful thing i've heard about the sea!

[gautami]

The ocean cares. It's we who do not respect the power of the ocean.

[KG]

rel — Gave me a huge pause, too. Still does.

Mardougrrl — This is true. Perhaps I'll write more about this trip, the people and the whole experience...

angel — Thanks for your thoughts and for your first comment here!

gautami — I see what your saying. What our dive leader was trying to do was remove any romantic notions we had about a beautiful, benevolent sea as we readied for a challenging dive. It made us hyper-aware of ourselves and the conditions, which we needed.

And I agree — most humans don't respect the power of the sea, and this will continue to get us into huge trouble — from pollution and over-development — if we, as a society, don't start respecting it.

[Crafty Green Poet]

I think gautami's right there! Though it depends how you look at it. Good post, I could never go diving!

[Tammy]

My mom died diving at 44 and they never really figured out why in the autopsy. I believe in the power of the ocean. xxoo

[KG]

Crafty Green Poet — Yes, the ocean deserves respect!

Tammy — Your comment left me speechless. Your story is every diver's nightmare. I can only imagine how difficult that was for you. Sending you lots of positive vibes right now. xxoo