The Sea

Sitting in his room, the boy started to dream. What would it be like if he went over to another country, another land, another world?

He didn't know too much about the world. How many other countries were there? How do you go to another country?

Still, he thought the idea sounded nice. He pictured himself sitting in a fancy hotel room, looking out over the sea.

The sea glistened and sparkled in the sun, in his imagination.

The boy sat up straight. Suddenly it felt so real. Like he was actually there, by the sea.

He thought for a second that he could really go to the sea. It wouldn't be that hard, would it?

No, that was nonsense! How could someone of his age go to another country all on his own?

It made him sad to think that he couldn't go. He wanted to go, though, so he kept on thinking up ideas.

What if he swam? No, that's not practical. He wasn't sure if the river near his home connected to the sea.

Or what if he took a boat? But he didn't have a boat, or a boat ticket, or a friend with a boat.

What about flying? Don't people usually fly to islands?

But again the boy didn't have an airplane or a ticket, or know anyone who could fly.

Just about ready to give up, the boy suddenly had a great idea!

What if...

I walk to the sea?

Every landmass touches the sea. Why not just walk to the sea? How far could it be?

He had already walked to the park, the store, and other places that seemed really far away. Maybe he could walk to the sea?

So the boy started walking.

He kept walking, and walking, and walking, and walking...

Along the way, he came across a stranger. "Where are you going?" The stranger asked.

"I'm going to the sea!" The boy said.

The stranger laughed. "You can't go to the sea!"

"Why not?" asked the boy.

The stranger thought for a second. "It's too dangerous," he said. "There are pirates. And cannibals. They'll eat you like fish!"

The boy looked at the stranger. Was this true? He hadn't even considered pirates and cannibals. But they sounded pretty dangerous.

Even though he was dejected, the boy kept walking. He would think about these risks while carrying on, at least to make some headway.

While walking, the boy started to think some interesting thoughts. Then he kept on thinking, letting his mind roam free.

He thought of scary pirates that would capture him. They had big beards of different colors, and carried swords, and drank rum. Maybe that's why he didn't know anyone with a boat: people were afraid of pirates?

The boy also thought of cannibals. He could picture strange-looking people who would eat other people. They wore bones in their hair and did crazy dances by the fire. What if he got to a distant country and they decided to eat him? He didn't like that idea at all!

While the boy was thinking these dreadful thoughts, he bumped into another stranger, this time a woman. She asked him, "Why do you look so scared?"

"I'm going to the sea, and I heard there are pirates and cannibals who would eat me."

"Oh!" screamed the woman. "You're right to be scared. The sea is a dangerous place. There are also sharks that will eat you."

The boy became even sadder, but he kept on going. He had learned that sometimes you have to take risks and work hard to accomplish anything valuable.

After walking for a long, long, long, long, long time...

The boy came upon the sea!

It glistened and sparkled. Just like it had in his vision. The boy loved the sea. It felt like another world.

It looked so gorgeous and inviting. He just wanted to jump in and swim. So he did!

And he swam, and he swam, and he swam, and he swam...

Under the sea, the boy could see corral reefs. The intricate shapes had fish of all different colors swimming among them. He could also see other animals and plants with bizarre shapes. It was like a different world, one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen!

Ready to catch his breath, the boy swam up for some air. Then he kept on swimming...

And swimming, and swimming, and swimming...

Until he came upon a big ship!

The people on the ship were laughing and dancing. It seemed like they were having a party.

"Would you like this?" one of the people on the ship asked, offering the boy a drink.

"Um, OK." The boy started drinking it. It tasted delicious, like lime juice but with a special extra flavor. "What is it?"

"It's rum punch."

Uh oh, thought the boy. They're drinking rum. Are these... pirates?

The boy started looking around for a way off the ship, but he didn't see any. He was trapped!

Were they going to take his belongings? Or tie him to the mast? Or keelhaul him?

As the boy looked around in fear, one of the shipmen picked him up.

The large man lifted the boy onto his shoulders. "Look around! It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The boy looked around. In every direction there was more of the glistening sea, an entire ocean world. Dolphins leaped playfully out of the water. It was another of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"Come with us!" said the man.

"Where are we going?"

"To foreign and exotic lands!" shouted the man with joy.

Through the vast expanses of wonderful sea, they kept on sailing...

And sailing, and sailing, and sailing, and sailing...

Until they came upon another land!

It was a small island. Not a big continent like where the boy grew up.

When he climbed off the ship onto the land, a tribesperson greeted him. "What are you doing here?" The tribesperson asked.

"Um," the boy hesitated, not knowing what to answer. He wasn't sure what they were expecting, or what was an acceptable answer. "I'm traveling. I want to see foreign and exotic lands, and meet new people."

"Come with us," said the border guard.

"Where are we going?"

The border guard led the boy off to an enclosed area of the beach, where there was a large fire.

The boy could make out several people dancing crazily by the fire.

Uh oh, he thought. These must be cannibals! Are they going to eat me?

The crazy dancers grabbed the boy. As they kept on dancing around the fire they pulled him into their dance. Drums pounded and the people shouted.

This must be their cannibal ceremony, the boy thought. Are they going to grill me, or stew me, or boil me?

One of the dancers handed the boy a drink. It tasted like the rum punch, but with more fruits in it. Papaya, and mango, and guava, and passionfruit. It was among the most delicious flavors he'd ever tasted!

Soon the crazy dancers started eating, and they gave the boy plate after plate after plate of delicious food, unlike anything he had ever tasted before. He kept on eating, appreciating all of the new and exotic and foreign flavors from a different world. It was another party!

"Who are you?" the boy asked one of the dancers.

"We are the Kabinal people. Our ancestors have lived on this island for thousands of years."

Oh, thought the boy. They're Kabinals, not cannibals. These people are my friends!

Together they kept on dancing and eating and partying through the night.

When the sun came up in the morning, the boy felt tired. He fell asleep right there, on the beach.

After sleeping a while, he woke up feeling refreshed. Ready to go to another island.

The boy looked around for a while, but he couldn't find any boats or ships.

"Excuse me," the boy said to an islander. "Where are all the boats?"

"Oh, they've canceled the boats," said the islander. "Apparently there's a sickness going around. They don't want to spread it from island to island."

"Do the other islands also have this sickness?" the boy asked.

"Yes. It's everywhere."

"That's stupid. Then it wouldn't matter if people go from island to island."

The islander looked on blankly. People had started to wear weird masks that covered their expressions.

Wanting to leave this island, which he had now already seen, the boy kept waiting for the boats to come back.

And waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

But the boats didn't come back.

The boy read about the sickness. He learned that people who had the virus actually lived longer and healthier than people who never had it.

Oh! he thought. This isn't a sickness. It's a natural health boost!

The boy tore off his mask and smiled for all the world to see. It was among the most glorious and happy smiles.

Eventually, even though the islanders kept wearing their idiotic facemasks, the boats started coming back.

"I'm leaving!" the boy declared. He got on the next boat out of there, and traveled...

And traveled, and traveled, and traveled...

The boy traveled to many other islands, through the vast sea. On each island he found different cultures, different beaches, different foods, and different languages. Nonetheless he felt a common thread linking together the different islands. Often the journey was difficult, but he liked it and kept on traveling.

In each country when the boy would tell people he was traveling, they would tell him scary things about the next land. But the boy had learned that people are usually wrong. They are ignorant from not having traveled to other lands themselves. They are also biased against foreign people and places.

The boy resolved to ignore the ignorant people. He had already learned far more than they ever would. He had also had more fun. Instead of getting attacked and eaten by pirates and cannibals, he had met the most fascinating people and partied with them.

The sea had given the boy an amazing life. It had taught him many lessons, including to travel freely and celebrate with other people. Also to work hard, take risks, and of course to learn from experience instead of trusting what people say.

The boy didn't ignore everything people said, since sometimes people did say smart things. Especially the people who had also traveled. They often told him of interesting places to visit, or useful activities to do.

There's a certain balance. In disregarding ignorant speech but considering informed speech. In taking smart risks but not stupid risks. In work and play. In life and in the sea.

You see, the sea itself is like a balance. There are corral reefs and fish and lands below the sea. There are also volcanoes and mountains and continents above the sea. Around sea level there's a concentration of activity where people go on ships, party at the beach, pick fruits from trees, and live their lives. And that balance is always evolving, like the waves that rise and fall.

We're all part of the sea, realized the boy. A long way from home, yet the sea is home. We originally came from the sea and have a little bit of the sea inside of our bodies. In our blood and our saliva and every cell. Wherever we go we take the sea with us. Even when we're far away, in a room, dreaming of going to the sea...

Follow your dreams, live out your imagination, explore the world! Go from ignorance to knowledge through practical steps. Travel far and wide!

And travel, and travel, and travel, and travel...