One small step

We’ve all been there. And don’t you deny it. We’re in a crowd of people or in some public place when we turn to follow the gaze of a dozen other eyes and rest upon something unusual. We’re in the middle of a crowd and somebody within eyesight is doing something different from the rest of the crowd. They’re actually doing something that most of us only dream of. The people doing it stand out from the rest because of the way they’re dressed, what they’re doing, what they say or how they walk. There’s something that distinguishes them from the rest of us. There’s something that makes us look; and something, that when we see them, causes us to be just a little bit jealous. Oh, we would never admit that we were jealous. We may even say to the person beside us that we would never do something like that. “It doesn’t interest me.” “That’s crazy.” “It costs too much money.” “I just wouldn’t have the nerve.”

Think back to the last time you saw someone driving that new car you’ve been dreaming of – the exact make, model, and year (or for all the women out there – the exact colour). Think about the time you walked into someone’s grandiose new home and thought “If only”. Think back to the last time you looked up in the sky and saw someone gently gliding to the earth with a parachute. Think of the person who walks past you when boarding an airplane; who boards first, and whom you must now walk past as you walk through the comfortable, roomy business class sofa’s on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning (Yes this has happened to me!!!!!) I’m sure there are many more things that you could think of, but I think you get the point.

Well today it was my turn. Today, just for one brief, fleeting moment, I had my go. Today, I was on the other side. Today, I was the one that others looked at with all the dreams in their eyes. I won’t claim that everyone dreams of doing what I did today; but the point is the same – just different activities for some people. At 4:00 this afternoon, I walked up a short, rocky ascent and saw the crowd. Today, I saw the other people look at me with eyes of wonder; thinking to themselves, “I wish that was me.” And for that one little child in the crowd with the biggest eyes of them all, I truly hope that one day you get your turn. But as for me, it was the end of a long and tiring day; the last leg on a journey of many firsts fulfilling a dream that’s been alive for more than half my life. Today, I did it.

I started my day by waking to an alarm (ok, that’s hardly something special – and certainly not a first for me), I then went on to pack up my bedding, grab a quick breakfast, and do the rest of a regular morning routine. After this, I went for a drive to a place I’d never been before, stopped in a classroom I’d never seen before and did a test I’d never written before for an online course I’d been taking in the last week, After this, I went to the next room and had some equipment explained to me, and let the fun begin.

Next step was a 200 meter swim; which for some people is no big deal; but for me, a middle aged Canadian student who’s been out of commission from a bummed knee and who’s spent more time sitting at his computer than doing anything else for the last 7 years, this was a big deal. I managed the swim twice as long as I’d ever done before and then was told to float in the water for another 10 minutes. Finishing that wasn’t too bad except I’d already run myself dry (ok, it’s tough to get dry while swimming but that’s beside the point) with the swimming. Well, I got through that and went to get my equipment on. That’s when it really began. It’s like a new birth. Like a child who’s just come out of his mother’s womb and takes that first big gulp of air – except this was almost the opposite, going back into a liquid filled cavern and feeling really restricted. The wet suit was tight, the equipment was heavy (until in the water) and the adjustment was difficult. But somehow I managed to wrap my head around the concept of staying underwater and breathing like normal. I went on to go without the air, to use someone else’s air, to use my second source of air, and to wish I had air. I swam with a mask, without a mask, and with my mask strung along my arm. After a myriad of other activities, I was deemed ready to move on to the real thing. We stopped for a light lunch then made our way to the open water where we would make us of so many things we had learned and practiced for just this occasion. North Sydney; Bare Island; Botany Bay; My first ocean water scuba dive. Lest I bore you with all the details, I’ll just say it was quite an amazing experience, I saw lots of great features that until now have been restricted to pictures and the TV screen, got to feed a big blue fish, and eventually made my way out of the water and up the short rocky ascent where I saw the wide-eyed young child and the rest of the crowd. It was a tiring yet great day and one I likely won’t forget anytime soon. It was, after all, the day I fulfilled a long-time dream of mine and for the first time, went scuba diving.

I’m now finishing this entry off after the fact and I can tell you I did three more dives on Tuesday, played with a strange looking fish, saw another octopus, something in the family of the stingray, a second big school of small fish, and a bunch more. It was a great experience and I’m now a certified scuba diver.

One dream fulfilled. Next time, see you on the plane as you all are walking past me sitting on the comfortable, roomy business class sofa on your way to your cramped and illegally uncomfortable economy nook or cranny surrounded by 3 screaming children and 5 people who didn’t put on deodorant that morning. On second thought, follow your dreams and come join me in the better seats on the plane.


(now for the male version... I got certified for scuba diving this week. It was good.)