Stephenson Family Ties The Barn Burnt Down
And Now I See The Moon
Science and religion are not at odds.
Science is simply too young to understand.
from: Angels and Demons
by: Dan Brown



I dont know what it was that got me thinking about my bygone dolphin experience these past few days...
(I guess I've been practicing what I preach and have been making mental lists of all the good things I've experienced in my life.)

Believe it or not, swimming with exquisite dolphins in Mexico will rank as a top 10 on my list. At the risk of sounding melodramatic I will tell you that swimming with dolphins 15 or so years ago...changed my life.
I can still recall vivid details about the whole adventure. I remember thinking that I should have been feeling guilty about how many pesos it cost to spend 30 minutes in the water with them. Alas, I didnt feel guilty. Instead I had butterflies fluttering in my tummy. It felt way better than Christmas morning.
I remember sitting on the edge of the hot pier listening to instructions of what to expect and what was expected of us as participants. I remember how powerful and beautiful the dolphins felt to the touch. Powerful and smooth beyond description. I remember hanging on for dear life to my swimsuit top so that I didnt expose the world to my boobs as I sped through the water, propelled by two well behaved dolphins. I was virtually flying!!! I remember that on signal they would disappear into the deep and then reappear right in front of us with their bellies exposed and waiting for a rub.
And here is where I wax philosophical...
The purest, the naturalist, the brainyacks of the world would like me to believe that its all a commercial hoax; and that these magnificent creatures are just being used and even abused in the process.
I'll have you know I wont have my enthusiasm quashed by intellectuals!!! My mind rebels against their sophisticated babble!! (though I will concede that unfortunately there probably is terrible abuse going on in a few far off places.)
But in Mexico, that day, at that Park, I was transported into a reverent revelry by my experience. Because I was 'allowed,' and paid good money to participate with these creatures, my view of the world will be forever changed. And Im here to attest to the idea that if a great percentage of people who swim with dolphins leave a lagoon feeling some of the emotions I felt then...then the perceived 'commercialism' of it all is well worth the price!!! If every year 100's of people can and do connect with these beautiful beasts, then I believe there will always be hope that this divinely created planet will be cared for as it should be.
Biologist and atheists probably dont believe that there can be a spiritual connection between man and beast...but I will go to my grave begging to differ.
Something else I learned: These dolphins were free to leave their enclosure at any time. Leaping a single pier cleared the way for them to the open Gulf. We were told that these dolphins were released on a regular basis to go out and play and hunt in the Gulf...and they always came back on their own volition!! Dont you think as I do...that these wondrous creatures can feel the love and adoration and awe we feel in their presence??!!
My experience was a once in a life time thing. (Im well aware that I may never again leave the west end of the good ol' U.S. of A. ever again...sigh)
But oh how I bask in the glow of all good things that have occurred in my life thus far. How grateful I am!! How sorry I feel for the 'science guys” that cant 'see' what it is that 'swimming' can do for both man and beast as we share this glorious planet????

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