I love to go scuba diving. It's been many years since I've gone, but it was a beautiful adventure every time I went. It was like entering a whole different world.
The sounds change. Little sounds are magnified, and you hear your own breath sucking in through your regulator like Darth Vader and then bubbling out when you exhale.
The feeling is different. You're weightless -- almost flying. You operate in 3 dimension: swim up, swim down, swim left, right & forward. Sometimes, you just float inverted. The water is cool against your skin, and the tanks that were so heavy on the dive boat are now light.
The sights are different, too. You see the usual coral and fish. Brain coral, elkhorn coral, staghorn coral, etc., and the usual array of little fish like gobies, sergeant majors, cardinal fish, wrasses, blue tangs, and goat fish. It's always beautiful, and never gets old.
But, once in a while, you get lucky enough to see a pelagic. That's a $2 word that means big sea creature. They are rare and awesome. The first time you see a manta ray, or a whale shark, or a sea turtle, or a hammerhead shark, it absolutely fills your eyes. You can't get enough of it. The experience is brief lasting seconds, maybe minutes. And then, it's over and all you have is the memory, and maybe some video or photos.
A great quote from the movie, The Bridge to Terabithia, was spoken by a girl reading her essay on scuba diving. She said, "I don't have enough time to see everything. That's what makes it so special." That's so true about diving.
I'm a blessed guy. I get those same diving experiences without ever having to go diving. You see, my family is my 'whole different world.' Every time I come home from work, I see the usual array of stuff. My wife is on the couch or making dinner, my daughters are doing homework or on a computer, the dogs are greeting me in enthusiastic anticipation of a dog treat. The house smells like dinner, and the clamoring sounds of domestic chaos are familiar and comforting. These are the Squirrel Fish and Christmas Tree Worms of my life. It's always beautiful, and it never gets old.
But, once in a while, I get lucky enough to see a 'pelagic'. No, I don't see whale sharks swimming through my living room. But, I do see my daughters spontaneously hug each other. It lasts only seconds, and then it's over, and all I have left is the memory. I see that my wife has worked diligently to clean the house while I was at work, and everything is fresh and bright, a fleeting condition in our circumstance. 'Little Bit', my younger daughter, will tell a joke and laugh uproariously. 'Squirt', my older daughter, will play a new song on her guitar that she just learned that afternoon. They sound like little things, but they fill a 'pelagic' space in my heart.
And yet, when I look at the 'little fish & coral' that I see every day, I still appreciate the beauty.
I know I miss a lot while I'm at work or commuting. I can't see all of the fun stuff that happens while I'm away. But, that's what makes it so special.
Here's to diving into my family and loving every minute of it.
