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| Dolphins Are Angels The soldiers spent yesterday at a dolphin facility dedicated to healing. As I stood on the platform and observed through my camera lens, I realized my heart was the real observer here.
The therapists are the dolphins. Bella, shown with Dom (left) and a facilitator, worked her magic as she connected with a group of wounded soldiers. I'm not certain what her whistles and squeals meant, I only knew that the more I witnessed she and Dom interact, the more certain was I that dolphins are some of the most amazing beings on the planet.
A couple of hours watching with my heart didn't convince me of this fact. I've known it for years from my own wild dolphin encounters. This event simply reminded me of the absolute fact that dolphins are angels in sleek, gray bodies.
There were weather challenges all week that created obstacles and frustrations for us but the dolphins ignited a light-hearted spirit that cleared away any lingering frustrations. They have the ability to completely shift the mood of everyone around them.
As I reflect back on the week I look at the tremendous effort that so many put into helping wounded soldiers and their families heal and I am reminded that as a human family, we are here to help each other. There are no political lines or boundaries of countries with this Work. It doesn't matter if you are in support of the war or not. All things that separate us are erased as we come together to help our brothers and sisters heal.
There have been many moments that have moved me deeply over the past week. As I reflect back, it is the shifts from, "I can't" to "I DID!" that touched me....when Dom came up from his first self-propelled scuba experience in the pool and simply said, "Brilliant!" as a smile covered his face; when Junior's smile lit up the ENTIRE beach at Pennecamp State Park as we sat in the water, ready for his first dive; hearing Jasmine talk of her self-propelled scuba experience in open water after struggling so much the first day. So many moments of transformation, so much empowerment.
Yes, dolphins are angels but I've met some volunteers who come close. Only through love and support do we as a human family erase our differences and come together to create a space for miracles to happen. There has been a very special story happening all week in Key Largo amid all the other special stories. Dominic, a soldier from the UK injured in a training accident and left with no use of his legs and very limited use of his arms, has learned how to use scuba gear and got to take a look underwater at Pennecamp State Park yesterday. After his week of hard work with instructors and safety divers, he is shown here taking a much deserved rest in a hammock at the Tuesday night dinner.
It has been a very busy week with little time to really think about just how amazing it has been. Can you imagine a person that has limited use of his limbs propelling himself through the water with a thruster attached to his tank? Sure there are three divers, two of which are instructors, with him, supporting him and helping him with skills like mask clearing and buoyancy....but can you think about how wonderful this is? Dom's word has been, "BRILLIANT!"
I can hardly believe a week has past. How is it possible? We have not stopped to catch our collective breath but we have all had a most wonderful week.
Never underestimate what a group of committed individuals can do to make a difference in the world. And never, ever dare to underestimate the soldiers who represent our collective militaries and what they can do to teach the rest of us about courage, valor, endurance, bravery and how to overcome incredible hardships.
I have witnessed severe physical injuries this week as I worked with divers. Limbs missing, spinal injuries, shrapnel scarring, muscles cut away and surgical scars...and sometimes emotional scars are visible. And yet the power of water brings about a transformation, not only in a positive emotional experience but in helping the physical body move freely in water.
As a scuba instructor I have always found pleasure in teaching people how to enjoy the experience of being underwater. The more I work with the soldiers and their families recovering from the impact of injury, the more convinced I am of the absolute power of water, of scuba in particular, to assist in their recovery and healing. When you witness what we have this week with our soldier friends and their families, you see that this, this amazing form of recovery, is the REAL DEAL! Ability  Today the wind and waves were a copy of yesterday...too choppy and rough to take our divers out. All but four had at least been underwater on the reef. We felt it was necessary, imperative, a must and absolutely-had-to-happen to give our other four divers an opportunity to go underwater in an open water environment. Our choices were not abounding but we settled on one that provided a safe entry, no waves, no current and the opportunity to go underwater in scuba gear: Pennecamp State Park.
The park graciously allowed us to enter free of charge and we set up our divers in two locations. The first had a wheelchair pad all the way from the parking lot to the water's edge. Even though it was only four to five feet in depth, it proved to be the best choice for Dom, our British soldier who has no use of his legs and very limited use of his arms.
Junior, our sight-impaired diver, his adult son Richard and Jasmine, who walks with a prothesis and their instructors and crew went to another location within the state park that had a depth of about 17 feet. Since I was Junior's instructor, I'll share our story.
In the photo above you'll notice Wes, a divemaster who has been working with Junior, on the left. In the center is Junior, a Vietnam Veteran and Simone is on the right...the instructor and author of this blog. This is just before we submerged beneath the surface. All of us are smiling because FINALLY Junior is going to dive in open water!!
The water was murky but it was salty, it was clean and there were fish, lobster and other crustaceans. But mostly there were bubbles and smiles and plans already being made for Junior and his son, Richard, to complete their open water course and receive their certifications. Junior is ready.
The week has been very frustrating in that the wind and waves have simply not calmed themselves to aid in our goals. So we, as a staff, learned flexibility and adaptability. But the soldiers already had those skills. They simply helped us learn them.
The wounded soldiers may have physical challenges but I do not view them as disabled. They have learned to adapt to conditions in which they are placed. As I have written earlier this week, they are the real teachers here and we are the students.
The question I leave readers with today is this: What is a disability?
In my mind there is only ability....to be flexible, to adapt and to continue no matter what obstacles must be faced.
(And yes....my mask is upside down and backwards....but...did you notice the SMILES?!?!?!?) If Wishes Were Fishes If wishes were fishes, the wind would calm down, The waves would stop waving and you would have found, Divers diving and scuba bubbles bubbling But ocean conditions have been quite troubling.
The ocean was rolling and so was the boat, We bounced and we bounced, rather than just float. So we stayed on the boat and waited a while, But the sea only gave us a bouncy smile.
Safety is first, of that there's no doubt, Even though the instructors surely did pout. We want our soldier friends to drop down beneathe, To experience the fish, the eels and the reef.
We'll try again tomorrow, oh that is for sure! Remember Eagle Divers, are sure to endure. So think calm thoughts and wish with us now, That they'll all be diving, some way, some how.
While we all want the weather to be great, the seas to be calm and every little detail to flow smoothly for the guys and gals experiencing scuba, today was a day that had us a bit frustrated. The seas did in fact calm down, but only just enough to be marginal for some of our guys and gals.
Two to three foot rolling swells create a platform on the stern of the dive boat that moves up and down--you guessed it--two to three feet. When a person is completely able-bodied it can be challenging to enter and exit the water with a 35 pound tank and gear on. Suppose you were missing a leg or had a spinal injury. What then? Sure you can sit on the deck and have folks help you into your gear. But ..... how do you get back on the boat? And more importantly, how do we, as instructors, help you get off the boat, underwater and back on the boat safely with all the moving and rocking?
The morning started off sunny and bright, typical Key Largo May weather. There was a motorcade of soldiers with motorcycles, fire engines, convertibles and police escort that took the guys and gals through the Upper Keys to a reception honoring them. There was a high school band playing, residents greeting and thanking the wounded for all they have done for us. It was great! Patriotism and good-will abounded.
And it was a great boat ride with sunny skies, turquoise water and sea turtles floating on the surface of the ocean. It was only a little choppy but for individuals with limited mobility and strength, it becomes extremely challenging. Most all of the soldiers and veterans were able to get into the water today but not all of them did.
Everything did not go perfectly today on the ocean but none of the soldiers complained. None of them complained. Just another lesson for the rest of us...roll with it baby, roll with it. (Thank you Stevie Winwood).
Imagine yourself up to your neck in water, standing in a swimming pool. For the first time in your life you are wearing a mask that encloses your eyes and nose, fins on your feet and a steel scuba cylinder attached to a vest-contraption (a BCD). The person standing next to you, only introduced two days ago, asks you to stick a round contraption with a mouthpiece attached to it into your mouth. All of this preparation for the first moment you put your face underwater and breath. It goes against everything we are taught. Right? Did your parents ever encourage you to breathe when you went underwater? Most likely they said, "Hold your breath when you go under the surface."
So imagine you are in the middle of this brand new experience and you are about to stick your head underwater. And now...imagine that you are blind. Totally, 100% unable to see. And the person standing next to you gives you the okay...and now...what do you imagine that would be like for you? What would you do? How do you feel just thinking about it?
Shall we talk about trust now or would you like to think about the last question a bit longer? The air that you are used to breathing in your dark world suddenly turns into liquid. How would you react? Can you even imagine it?
Today as part of the confined water (pool) experience of the Eagle Divers Key Largo Troop Dive, I was honored to introduce scuba to a Vietnam Veteran who was blinded by injuries sustained while serving in the military. Junior and his adult son, Richard, decided to learn to scuba dive a few months ago and today, they did just that.
My good friend and dive master, Wes, helped Junior learn to assemble his scuba gear. Once in the water, I gave instruction and Wes assisted along with Mark, another dive master. I am not certain what Junior's experience was other than what he said when it was over: "I can't wait to get certified. I'm ready for me and Richard to learn to do this together. When can we do this?"
From an instructor's point of view I've never seen students trim out so easily and look so balanced in the water. And they both did very well adjusting to the watery environment. I swam in amazement as Junior trusted me to introduce him to the realm of Neptune.
He held my forearm as we swam and with signals of his design, we made his first lap in the pool. I watched his face--no anxiety, no fear could be seen. And before the experience was over, when I reached to tap his hand to 'ask' if he was okay, he would signal me without me ever asking him physically. It was easy for us to work together in sync. Very amazing as well.
I really enjoy teaching scuba and I appreciate the trust students have given me but today....today......tears cloud my eyes as I see clearly what trust truly means. I am honored. I am blessed and I am in awe of the human spirit.
All of us have things we must overcome in this lifetime. As I bear witness to the wounds these soldiers carry, I also bear witness to the healing that happens with the simple act of breathing and moving underwater. I'm not sure that we, as instructors and dive masters, are here to help them as much as they are here to help us learn what it means to live with valor, strength and endurance.
Think of Junior tomorrow as he sinks into the beautiful liquid wonder of the ocean. It really isn't liquid darkness, but rather liquid light he'll be sinking into. These soldiers--Army and Marines from the USA and Royal Marines from Great Britain--model for the rest of us what it means to live bravely and with perseverance.
Thank you Junior for teaching me about trust. Thank you soldiers for teaching us all about valor, strength and endurance.
May it continue......
When someone loses the use of his or her extremities you most likely would not consider scuba as a possibility. Today I witnessed something amazing. I saw a young man who lost the use of his arms and legs, due to a military accident in the UK, underwater, breathing on scuba and operating a thruster that was attached to his tank. He had helpers, an instructor and witnesses who were cheering him on. But like he told me at dinner, if someone saw him underwater they really wouldn't know he is confined to a wheelchair and has no use of his legs and very limited use of his arms. Dom is a quadriplegic. But if you had been underwater with us today, you would not have believed it possible.
But possibilities are blooming here in Key Largo this week. The town has adopted these wounded soldiers and not only feeds them and houses them, but also offers hearts so wide open you can feel the love. It is an amazing and wondrous community.
When people open their hearts, donate time and money and VALUE other people, miracles happen. Those who can't walk learn to dive. Those who are missing legs find freedom underwater and those who are blind...you guessed it...learn to dive.
I will never think of Dom as a quadriplegic again. I will think of him as a young man who rides an awesome spaceship-chair, has a James Bond giz-mo on his tank that propels him and says, after his first run in the pool with the Pegasus Thruster..."I want more of that!" You see, beneath the surface we are all the same. The water envelopes us all, no matter our short-comings or apparent disabilities, and gives us the ability to become neutral and weightless and experience life without limitations, if only for a little while.
(Subscribe to this blog to hear about this adventure. I will try to post each evening. Thanks for your prayers and support for these amazing young men and women). | |
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