Auto-suggestion
Stephen and I called in to visit a friend this morning after our walk. The conversation shifted to swimming and my friend commented about how much she dislikes the seaweed that is sometimes floating in the water.
Not a problem for me, I thought.
It is a hot day today, with none of the clouds that have been around the last few days, so I took my swim earlier than I have been doing of late. As I waded into the deeper water, I was surrounded by fleeting pieces of seaweed. And for the first time, I found myself slightly apprehensive as the fleshy bit brushed across my leg or I felt the soft stalk under my foot. Seaweed has never been a problem for me but all of a sudden, after my friend told me how she dislikes it, I found my mind imagining stingray flaps and shark tails among other things, before my rational mind confirmed it was only seaweed after all.
It is surprising how the power of auto suggestion works. It hadn't even occurred to me that seaweed could be a problem while swimming and I've swum amongst it many times. Today was different.
I must admit I am wary while swimming at the beach closer to home, after encountering three, large stingrays one day. I was wading thigh-deep through the water when I saw what I thought were two pieces of number eight fencing wire, with another piece crossing these. It looked like a man-made structure and I decided I would pick it up to see exactly what it was. Just as my hand reached the water, two massive stingrays materialised in front of me, while a third, alongside these two, showed itself as well. The two bits of number eight wire were actually two of these stingray's tails, while the bit connecting them must have been the barb of one. I think they got more of a fright than I did, but it did leave me feeling slightly uncomfortable, especially when one of the three swam back towards the shore, placing himself between me and the beach. I now always tread carefully when I swim there. Another time, Stephen saw heaps of small sharks in the waves - too small to hurt anyone, but daunting just the same.
But we have to remember that the sea is the fish and the seaweed’s world. Perhaps they are hoping we will get scared and leave them alone and I bet they are wishing we wouldn’t leave so much of our waste in their back yard.
The beach I grew up around was a wild west coast one and quite dangerous. We were always taught to respect the sea and its capabilities. For example, as children, we were never allowed to swim in the outgoing tide as often there were strong undercurrents. These East Coast beaches seem so mild in comparison, but that respect still needs to be there. It is disheartening when we hear of yet another drowning.
I couldn’t do without my swims but I am still careful when I do venture into the water. And if I get a fright because I mistake a piece of seaweed for something dangerous, I need to remember that I am a mere guest in another’s world where these things belong and I do not.