The ocean totally creeps me out.

There is something so mysterious about it — the darkness, the coldness, and the unpredictability of it. One minute it’s calm and peaceful, the next minute it’s violent and angry. The ocean is so damn moody. They always blame it on mother nature but I think it has a mind of its own. How can it be so beautiful and inviting one minute and then take out an entire resort town the next?

(all you marine scientists and oceanographers, this is metaphoric so I don’t need the science behind Tsunamis lol.)

Not mention the scary things in it. It seems like a new creature is discovered every week with new, never been seen before pictures to prove it. They find a new species after a gazillion years?

What about the things on the bottom that were swallowed up by it… and the divers that find pleasure going in to find it! Who are these people anyway?

I mean, how can fishermen and sailors go out in that crazy unknown place every day and not wonder what’s underneath them. Every time I go in the ocean and tread water, I kick my feet to create enough racket so nothing comes close to my toes. Are you with me? Why is that? I always think something is going to try to take a nibble. Who is the knucklehead that made the JAWS movie in 1975!

Now the world does a great job disguising the ocean to be heavenly…with big giant cruise ships, yachts, jet skis, sailboats, catamarans, private islands, white sandy beaches, coconuts…

I know. I have been on all of those things and to those places. I love the beach. Looking at it. Listening to it. I may swim in it, if I can see the bottom and the water is warm and turquoise…just sayin.

Hey, I’ve “snuba” dived (wimpy version of scuba) and snorkeled in Hawaii, The Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean and I’ve even passed by a shark, stingrays and barracudas while doing it.  I survived it all, but it wasn’t exactly ideal.  I even chartered a small private sailboat once and sailed the around the eastern Caribbean islands for 10 days. I love adventure. Hell, I am an Aries.

BUT STILL, the ocean creeps me out.

I mean, does anyone really like the look of a lobster? A crab?  With those little beady eyes and claws crawling around so fast?  I know they taste good, but please find me one human who thinks they are cute. Jelly fish? Horseshoe Fish? Seaweed?  Come on people…. these are just the creepy little things that wash up on the beach.  Imagine what really lives down in the deep, deep dark, cold, scary ocean?  Hell, they still can’t find a 777 airplane and it’s been almost 2 years.

It also seems like it’s an “all for one, one for all” kind of place. I wonder about those poor little fish always looking over their shoulder wondering if they are on the breakfast, lunch, or dinner menu. I know there’s some sort of pecking order down there and I would imagine if you are a great white, you can do as you please. But for the rest, it cannot be fun and relaxing. I mean, they can never sleep. Everything just keeps moving. It’s sounds so exhausting doesn’t it?

Even though the ocean is creepy, it doesn’t stop me from…

Flying over it.

Cruising on it.

Sailing on it.

Fishing in it.

Swimming in it.

The damn earth is 71% ocean. I’ve learned to co-exist with it and pretend it’s a lovely little place. I don’t let the creepiness control me.

I really was just thinking about the ocean because I am going to be looking at it in a few days, but I started thinking about how the ocean is a lot like life.

It’s always unpredictable and mysterious. Sometimes it’s calm and peaceful and sometimes it causes a crazy storm and you just have to ride it out. Sometimes you will encounter powerful sharks who try to push you around and sometimes a shifty lobster with beady eyes shows up to try to create havoc in your life. (Just boil that sucker and eat him!)  Sometimes a new species shows up out of nowhere like today’s terrorists and we just need to find new ways to deal with them. Sometimes you finally make a decision in life to try something new, like going for a little swim, but once you get in the water, you start worrying about who or what could start biting your toes. And, then there are times when you are just minding your own business like a normal fish, just constantly moving, always swimming, never sleeping, just trying to survive.

I have experienced all of it and learned many lessons from it. Just when you think your life is looking perfect, with white sandy beaches and endless coconuts, the island is about to be taken out by a Tsunami!

I believe every person in your life shows up for a reason, whether they stay permanently or just a little while. But there is a reason they showed up.

Embrace the scary sharks, the poisonous stingrays, the shifty lobsters, the ugly horse fish, and all the other creatures just moving about you because they are teaching you something.

Make sure you always seek adventure! Be like me and pretend the ocean is a lovely little place so you can go yachting and sailing and fishing and swimming and fly over it!

Life is meant to be lived fearlessly and passionately.   Don’t let the creepy ocean stop you.

Love Gina.