Monday, March 11, 2013

Let Me Be a Castaway





I wanted to ask... can I borrow your boat? Can I row out a little ways, just so I can see the view of the shoreline from out there? So I can release myself from the certainty of solid ground underfoot?

There are adventures to be had in little boats such as these. My inner pirate is swooning.

My brother once took the roll of captain and invited me on a watery magic carpet ride. It was dark. Just a sliver of milky moonlight led the path out of the safety and security of Secret Cove into deep open waters. The rough choppy waves seemed to take teasing delight in tossing our little boat to and fro... just past my comfort level. But my captain was steadfast.

He didn't tell me why we were headed into the black abyss. Perhaps I was a little too trusting. But I know my brother, and I am well aware that he is a magnet for all things adventurous.

He cut the small motor. And I felt small in all that expansive quiet. Vulnerable. But anticipatory. What wizardry was he going to pull out of his sleeve this night? He asked me then to put my hand in the water. And swish it around a little.

Well... a whole new world of spectacular opened up to me in that moment. The water began to glow. A brilliant green sparkle exploded in all directions. Fireflies of the sea were dancing in my retinas, burning a memory into my heart that still enchants me to this day when I reminisce.

Growing up in the dry, semi-desert interior, I was new to the marine world. I hadn't lived next to the ocean yet and I didn't know about bioluminescence. And for years after that experience, I still didn't know if it was a chemical reaction occurring in the water, or if it was a living entity. I almost didn't want to know... in the same way you don't want to know a magician's tricks. I loved the mystery.

I've been lucky enough to see this phenomena twice in my life... once from the surface, and once during a night dive which almost took my breath away in its dizzying magnificence.

Looking at these shore-bound boats, I can't help but dream of future adventures. I don't need to sail around the world to find awe and wonder. I prefer small expeditions. They can be just as unforgettable.

11 comments:

  1. beautifully written, I love the way you see the world. And what powerful memories for you - wonderful.

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  2. Amazing post. Phosphorescence is a real thing? Wow.

    Those pictures! Oh, those pictures. Dreamy. I love the water The wood and stone one is divine?

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  3. Some memories are burnt deep into our soul, I could almost feel the magic you must have experienced that night. I love your images, I'd been missing them.

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  4. it is hard to imagine your world as real. such magic. such wonder.

    i'm taking this story into my day.

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  5. the stones in the driftwood....wow......

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  6. Well there you are my friend! Out enjoying the ocean and the beach. Who can blame you! Your photos, always so breath-taking.

    Hope you are well and enjoying the good things in life!
    xo Catherine

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  7. i love anything water related so my love for these photos is over the moon......xo

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  8. I have to come back later to write something real. Right now I just keep thinking, "Yay!! Jaime's back!"

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  9. What an amazing memory that must be! Isn't there a lake somewhere where the whole thing glows at night? I want to see that someday.

    Love the tiny stones inside the log - so beautifully unexpected.

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  10. I wish I could steal 1/10th of the beauty in your soul and stuff it in with my mine for a magnificent bright boost. I read your posts and see the photos like these and again and its head over heels and so the pattern goes steady, destined for lifelong continuation, row-row-rowing the boat through the meandering, fog-laden stream of disconnection. Most days the Captain, other days the fool. ;)

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  11. Just love love love your writing. I immediately thought of playing with the fireflies in the back fields of the baseball field when my brother had his games. We would suck the wee drop of honey from honeysuckles and then chase more fireflies into a jar.

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