By William “BJ” Poss
Elm Staff Writer
Imagine your life in black and white. There are certain qualities both added to it and taken away. There is an element of mystery stranded behind the shades of black and grey. It gives you just enough of an idea of what is going on to be able to picture it, but not quite letting you get the full effect. In some ways that is the beauty of it. When looking at a black and white picture you get a chance to let your imagination run wild. Color adds identity to whatever its canvas may be, so when you’re staring at this colorless still frame your subconscious takes over. Without even thinking about it you interpret the picture in a certain way that may be different from the person next to you.
Lately, I’ve been living in full color. This past weekend I got a chance to go up and see the Great Barrier Reef, which is for sure a day that I will not soon forget. Stepping from the solid ground world that we live in, into a world of liquid creates a constant sense of the unknown. You’re no longer on our terrain, you are at the mercy of mother nature and everything that comes with it. Sudden rip tides, barreling current, they all could come at any moment. But along with all of this in the back of your mind you get a chance to experience something beautiful. In the Whitsunday Islands I took my chance to dive down into a world unknown to me and experience everything that it had to offer, and in return it rewarded me with the experience of a lifetime.
The colors were unimaginable, I was in complete awe of what was going on in front of me. The coral and fish were all these incredible shades of yellows, pinks, and blues. All of them intertwined with each other to create some sort of psychedelic painting put into real life. I felt like I was looking strait into a Jimi Hendrix song. As I was watching the tiny rainbow painted fish dart in and out of the animated purple coral I could just envision Voodoo Chile unfolding in front of my eyes.
The more I watched the more intrigued I became, I wanted to be a part of the beautiful madness. A part of me felt as though I belonged right there next to them. They were not all just these little nemo-like fish swimming around in circles. There were schools of bigger fish in the area helping each other hunt, hide, and ultimately stay alive. It was absolutely beautiful to watch them glide through the crystal clear water in perfect unison. It was as if they were all one, not one of them was out of order.
As I swam up to them I was expecting some sort of frantic dispersion to immediately take effect as I got within an arms length of them, but to my surprise quite the opposite happened. As I got closer and closer I began to realize that they didn’t mind me at all. Before I knew it I was right in the middle of their incredible family. I felt as if they were accepting me as one of them, or at least to continue with them on their never ending journey. Which is a pretty special feeling, to be accepted into something completely foreign to you. To not just be one standing alone but to be one standing with others, which is part of what we all long for in life.
Checking my Facebook today I couldn’t help but notice the hundreds of “KONY2012” posts. At first I looked past it assuming it would be one of the many things on Facebook that I could care less about. But eventually I saw enough of them that I decided if this many people are talking and streaming, it must be worth a look.
After watching the video I was moved by how many people had come together from all parts of the world, speaking all different languages, coming from all different backgrounds, to fight for this one cause. Peace. We are all in this world together, even if you don’t look or talk the same as somebody else, that does not mean that they are not your brother in the grand scheme of things.
BJ,
I enjoyed your article very much, it is the reflection of a young man seeing the “big picture”. I recently saw a documentary titled “I AM” and it speaks to the very core of what you wrote about. That each of us matter, and each of us are interconnect to everything around us. Its wonderful to read that you have learned this very valuable lesson, swimming with the fish down under. Very proud of you and may you always keep your eyes wide open to see the wonders around you. Keep writing and we’ll keep reading. Cheers Mate!
Lydia