The Boy, the Captain & the Sea

 

                                                  The Boy, The Captain, and The Sea

Every day, a boy sat on the edge of the wharf looking out over the gray water, listening to the sound of the wind and watching the waves dance. The sea seemed changed each day, yet somehow was the same. 

 The boy felt small as he played on the shore.  The sea had a presence and at times he felt it was really the sea who visited him to see how he grew and changed every day. He thought the sea was ancient and wise and knew the answers to questions he might ask.

 The boy asked the old captain, "How far is it to the other side of the sea," his thoughts filled with images of exotic lands. 

 "The sea is the sea.  It has no sides.  Only land has sides."

 "You mean it goes on forever?

 "Yes, with little bits of land along the way"

 "But haven't ships explored all the world?”

 The captain answered, "How can you tell if you've been to a certain place in the sea?  The sea has no places, only water, waves, rhythm.  And a voice too, if you know how to listen.

 You say, I'm between Hawaii and Japan, but those are land places, not sea places.  You can spot the stars and watch the sun, but those are sky places.

 And the sea is always moving.  It's not the same sea as fifteen years ago.  So how can anyone say they've seen it all?  Only the shores can be known.  When you're out at sea with no land in sight, then the sea is forever.  And those millions of maps are only land maps--the sea is not one but a thousand churning together, making new ones every day.  The sea laughs at maps."

 "Are you going back to sea? " The boy asked the old captain?

 "Well, my boat is for hire.”

 " How long will you be out? 

 "Depends on who I take."

 "Would you take me?"

 "Sure" smiled the captain.

 "How long would it be then?"

 "It would be a long, long time.  To answer the questions you ask about the sea could never be a short journey.”

 " When I'm older, I think I'll go"

 

The captain understood the wisdom of that decision.  He knew that, when it was time, the sea would send a teacher. 

           I've adapted this story from the book The Silent Questions by Doug Marman.