The sea is not ours

and we perhaps need to have more respect for how dangerous it is.

In the past week there has been news in this state alone of a surfer taken by a shark and two people drowned. They are by no means the only such events that have occurred so far over the summer. 

The sea is the shark's "home", not ours. If they see something invading their space they will react. If they are hungry they will see a source of food. They will not see a person. 

The drownings which occurred this past week were apparently caused by a boat flipping in the water when an unpredictably high wave swamped the boat.  I don't know whether the occupants were wearing life jackets. They were said to be older and very experienced but there was apparently a "freak" wave and even life jackets may not have helped. 

There are boats parked in driveways around here. I don't know how often they get taken out but I suspect it is less often than people would have others believe. Boats are expensive to maintain and good safety takes time and money too.

My paternal grandfather grew up around boats. It is hard to imagine him as a very small child learning to swim. He was the second child so it is likely his older brother could already swim at least a short distance. Their father would have taught them to swim simply by throwing them in the water, getting them first to "dog paddle" and then to do an overarm stroke. It might not have produced Olympic style swimmers but that and the capacity to float kept most children in and around the port safe. They were watched by other children and by adults of course but the skills were considered vital for those living around the water. Even my paternal great-grandmother could swim. She had been taught in the freezing cold waters in the far north of Scotland.

Grandpa taught me and Brother Cat to swim when we lived close to them. We did not live there as long as we would have liked but Grandpa would pick us up very early in the morning, usually around 6am, sometimes a little earlier.  I can still imagine the feel of his firm hand on the crossed straps on the back of my bathing suit. As he was we were taught to "dog paddle" and to float. He taught us the old way to do an "overarm". It was only at swimming classes we went on to a "breast stroke" and a "side stroke". I have not been in the water for a long time but I am confident I could still manage to stay afloat for a time. If I still lived close to the sea I might well, but taking all precautions, exercise that way.

Our lessons over Grandpa would leave us digging holes in the sand. He would swim out and spend perhaps no more than ten minutes exercising that way before he went home to his breakfast and then to his place of work. Even when he was almost blind the staff at the nursing home would see him across the road to the beach and he would swim out guided by the jetty he could just see and take his exercise. He did that almost to the very end of his life. I have no doubt it kept him fit and healthy for a very long time. 

The ability to swim and to float won't necessarily save you but it might too.  It might also extend your life too.