There is something that happens when we leave the land and enter the ocean. It’s unexpected; the environment feels strangely welcoming. The ocean almost feels like…home.
I think about this every time I paddle out. I find myself wondering why it feels so natural. Think about that for a second. We leave the stable ground, which is finite in our minds and warm (at least warmer than the surrounding ocean). We enter a world, which is shifting and sinking; it’s seemingly infinite, and it’s almost always colder.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be connected to the ocean, but we are.
John F. Kennedy tried to capture this in his 1962 speech kicking off The America’s Cup in Newport, Rhode Island:
I’m aware that the above quip has been shared many times before this. This shouldn’t diminish its potency or relevancy. I also wouldn’t want to suggest JFK got it right. He flirts with why we’re connected to the ocean, but, at least to me, he doesn’t get 100% there.
What hits me is the “if/then” statement that logically follows the idea behind his quote. IF we feel this strongly about the ocean THEN we should ask ourselves what we are doing to be a good steward of it. If we love something, then we should act to protect it.
