A whale watching adventure turned into an opportunity to practice surrendering to what is......

Date:   2/1/2006 8:35:09 PM ( 18 y ago)

Practicing “no fear”!!!!!

I just returned from a trip to the Caribbean with my family.    It was great getting away, enjoying the warm climate and sun, and especially being on the ocean (we took a cruise)!!

One of the excursions that the cruise ship offered was a whale watching adventure in the waters of the Dominican Republic.    We had gone whale watching previously in Mexico and it was fabulous.   We saw dozens of whales, all around our little boat.    The skipper said he had never seen so many as on that day.   It was mating season and the males were showing off by jumping completely out of water!   What an incredible sight!   And so close to our boat!!!   Quite a spiritual experience!!!!!!!!!    

So……….. We decided to go again while cruising.   The only difference was the 20 foot swells that our little boat encountered as it ventured further and further out into the ocean.    As far as we could see, ours was the only boat and the only captain stupid enough to set sail with those kinds of seas.    My daughter is a boater and her husband was in the Coast Guard and she said he would never take the boat out in those conditions.     

The further we ventured out into the ocean with no land or cruise ship in sight, the more and more nervous the passengers became.     Especially when the sky got very dark, a storm arose and it started raining!  There were probably about 30 people on board and some started vomiting.    My two daughters were a few seats in front of me and they were crying.    I have to tell you that my youngest daughter is not afraid of anything….a very confident kid.   At least I didn’t think she had any fear….until then…..   And my husband was angry and joined in with others who wanted the captain to turn back and get us back to the ship.   People were pleading and begging to turn back.    I quietly wondered if there would be a mutiny, as the fear and anger escalated.    The captain just ignored their pleas, I assume he didn’t want to have to give people their money back.

If anyone reading has seen the movie “The Perfect Storm,”   this is what the seas reminded us of.     With these huge 20 foot swells coming toward our little boat.     None of them actually broke over us, but just at the brink……   it was one after another….. Like a roller coaster………..WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

I had a moment of fear….like oh shit!!!   It was my idea to go through with this, and will this be the end of the story?    I let the fear move through me and it dissipated quickly!   Then I moved into a kind of present moment observer experience, watching the whole thing play out.   My inner process began…… ok now!!!   This was an excellent opportunity to see if I truly had made progress on the issue of FEAR.   I began thinking about all that I now understand about God being All That Is.   And if I truly know it,  then the ocean is God, and the waves are God and the wind and rain are all God.   The fearful people around me are God!   I became aware of the Divine Beingness!  SO……..I surrendered, let go and felt myself go with the experience.  After all!!   I have been working very hard on shedding my fears the past few years…..  I must walk my talk, even under these extreme conditions!!   LETTING GO OF FEAR…MOVING INTO TRUST!!!   I AM ALWAYS SAFE!   The woman to my left kept watching me and when she saw that I was just fine (and even laughing!!) , it made her feel better….that is, until she got sick over the side of the boat.    Geesh, some fun!

I forget exactly what my husband said to me, but it was something like “this is not one of your spiritual la la experiences, so snap out of it and get real!!!”      LOL!!    I was too calm I guess……

Finally, the rain stopped, the wind shifted a bit, and we turned back.    The ride back was not nearly as bad and we even saw a baby whale playing with some dolphin friends.    It was wonderful actually!!!!    

We were out for about 4 hours and when the ship was in sight, there was a great sigh of relief.    My family had a great story to tell others at dinner in the evening.    

I feel I made some headway on my journey to NO FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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