As I’m writing tonight the world is an uproar. There have been massive bombings during the holy month of Ramadan, shootings of civilians in America, and now police officers are being attacked. People are grieving. They fear for their lives and the lives of those they love. Parents are struggling to explain the madness that has gripped humanity.
Humanity has always struggled with violence. Our mythology is filled with it. From murdering brothers to the slaughter of infants… every culture has some horribly violent story that is the bedrock of their lore. In struggling to identify and define the darkness in ourselves, to find the truth to the question of Who Am I? we label the not-me as Other. We create lines in the sand; imagining differences and weighing their worth.
The ability to differentiate Me from You is part of the brain’s developmental process. It’s necessary for so many things we do. But we too often let fear shape that process. We let the Other become a monster, a boogeyman, the eternal Stranger that we must vilify or avoid lest they destroy us. Fear leads to hate. Hate leads in violence. Violence leads to heartbreak.
I can’t mend broken hearts. I don’t have a magic wand or a quick, tweetable cure for everything. But I can give you something to be happy about. I can give you a safe space, and my love, and my listening ear.
I also have a porpoise video from the cruise we took with my in-laws. The ocean is my first love. Even before I was a sci-fi geek looking at the stars, I was drawn to the water. My bachelor’s degree is in marine biology, and I admit, I would love to go back to the field. Being on a boat makes me happy. SCUBA diving is something I will give up sleep for and get cold for… and if I can find a way to do an Arctic dive before I leave Alaska, I will.
Watching dolphins and porpoises frolic in the wake of a ship will never cease to thrill me. They’re beautiful, joyful, and free. It’s not a long video (my battery was dying!) but I hope it gives you something to smile about.