By Carlo P. Mallo
Climbing? Nah, I’d rather go diving.
On any day, I’d choose diving into the deep blue sea and plummet into depths that my dive master would allow me to, lest my putrefying body becomes the next meal for the squids, crabs, and other forms of life that feed on fodder underwater.
The creatures that thrive underwater are great life professors that can teach us everything one needs to know about the harsh realities of life.
Take the clown fish, or ‘Nemo’ as everyone knows it. Once you approach it, it seems that this fish is true to its Disney life form is friendly and all, even going to the extent of swimming close to your face or on your hand. Sometimes it even gives you a kiss, or was that a bite? Then you realize, it lives by the adage ‘keep your friends close, your enemies closer’. Actually, the fish is already looking for your weak points, ready to pounce and fight as such creature is territorial.
Then, there’s the lionfish. Graceful and wonderful underwater, but its sting can be poisonous and give you an all-night itch. Well, it tells us that the most beautiful or handsome thing can be detrimental to us.
One of the most wonderful things underwater is how the rays of sunlight would play on anything shiny in underwater. This one’s easy – not all that glitters is gold.
Underwater you can witness a predator feasting on a prey and realize that just like the world that Little Mermaid wishes to be a part of, it’s a dog eat dog world out there.
When we’d plot our dive paths, one of the biggest considerations is the flow of the current. If we’d dive along the course of the current, it will be an easy 45-60 minute dive. Try going against the current, and you’ll be out of air and dead tired before 30 minutes is up. Oh well, that’s how its like with life, too.
Did you know that there are a lot of fishes and other sea creatures that feed on fodder? There are a lot of people who do that, too!
One of the most notorious sea creatures is the barracuda. Divers fear it as it allegedly attacks. When in a group it feels relaxed, but when you see it solitary, it gets threatened. Most bullies are like that – when in a group, they think they’re infallible, but when alone, they get all defensive.
The creature I fear most is the sea snake. Its not aggressive or territorial like its land counterpart. But get in its way and you can have the last few minutes of your life in a snap. Thus, one has to be careful in choosing his battles; you’ll never know the power of your enemy until he’s unleashed it.
And the last lesson, if you think you are lost amidst the corals and you don’t know where to go, you can always look up and see that there’s the sun – always guiding you and shining upon you.
Life is a lot like diving. The only difference is that it’s easier to spot an enemy under the sea than on land that’s been polluted by too much plastic.
