"The Deep Blue Sea " by Brianna Y

     In the summer of 2011, I travelled to China to visit my relatives. My mom and cousins convinced me to venture out to the beach and I agreed, ignoring the adamant voice in my head telling me I can’t swim. After we got off the plane, a fresh fragrance of ocean water and coconut trees engulfed my senses. I slowly stepped out and was immediately blinded by the iridescent sunlight. The nearby town was quiet as all the residents were still sleeping soundly in their homes. We set out beach towels down on the sandy beach and began setting up our tents. My mother realized that she forgot her umbrella and said, “I’m going back to the hotel to retrieve my umbrella. Have some fun in the ocean, don’t just stay on the beach.” However, I was still too scared to be carried away by the strong grip of the ocean. I stayed on the beach for a little while longer, lazily constructing a flimsy sand castle. As I look out into the vast sea, the sound of beating waves soothe me. I hear the voice of the ocean calling me in to explore her beauty closely and intimately. Should I go? I’ve never talked to strangers but she sounded almost familiar. Her deep blue eyes beckoned for me to come closer and closer and her soothing voice whispered sweet promises. At an excruciatingly slow pace, I feel myself being pulled like an impotent magnet into the waters. My conscience warned me about my lack of swimming abilities at the time, but I dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. My feet gradually carried me to the edge of the shore. I submerged one foot into the water..another foot.. Suddenly, I was swept away by a wave of blue. The bitter salt stained my tongue as I desperately tried to obtain oxygen. After a few attempts, I realized how inferior I was to the vicious grip of the ocean. I let

the waves drag me farther out into the sea while I imagined myself at home, under the warm blankets. After what felt like hours, my head finally emerged from the waters. I looked around. Nothing. I tried desperately to paddle back with my flimsy lifesaver, but the ocean was reluctant to let me return. At last, two men spotted my 9 year old self and safely lugged me back to shore. As my toes once again stood on solid ground, I turned around to meet the ocean’s gaze one last time. She stared back, tempting me to explore her beauty, a beautiful siren singing to an unsuspecting sailor, slowly luring him to his demise.
     There have been many stories of brave souls who perished from drowning in the ocean, about people who fearlessly challenged the sea and failed. Why would we wish to indulge in activities that are filled with risk and danger? My nine year old self was not the least accustomed to swimming, and yet I didn’t think twice about diving into the ocean. Now, I wonder where that sense of bravery, or perhaps recklessness, had come from. I became traumatized after that incident and swore to myself never to touch water again. I didn’t want to experience such a near death experience again. Childhood experiences were meant to mold a person into not repeating his/her mistakes. Nevertheless, a few years later, I joined the swim team. A few years after that, I joined my high school’s water polo team. Every game feels like drowning as opponents try to pull you down, but I loved the adrenaline. Thinking back, how did I not become the water’s prisoner? Is this an innate nature of human beings to overcome any obstacle in their way? The answer must not be so simple, or we would’ve already solved the mystery.
     This tendency to face our problems has always been an integral part of our learning experiences. Only through trial and error would we improve and ascend. Evolution has proven that the strongest and fittest survive adaptations. If one fail discourages everyone from trying again, they will lose to the forces of nature.  Although we do not need to fight for our survival anymore, the only true way to happiness and success is to be bold enough to try everything. If

we allow every mistake to confine us by the walls of fear, soon enough, we would be imprisoned by our own conscience, never free to grow and develop. By attempting and accomplishing a task we formerly thought was impossible, we have gained one new skill that will follow us along our journey. Regarding my decision to vanquish my fears and take up a water sport, I believe it is the innate pride and determination in all humans to overcome any difficulty in their way. At the end, I am able to say that I didn’t back down after the ocean’s claws smothered me. Instead, I have defeated her by reentering the waters, and quelling my fears.