My Boat is Full of Holes

Sunday, December 15, 2024

She was once a proud and noble vessel. Unfortunately, she was underway and out to sea for too long without proper maintenance. Before we realized it, we were in dangerous waters and had been overtaken by pirates. Our new “captain” pulled every bit of loot he could from our vessel and then scuttled it unexpectedly.

I found myself adrift in a cold, uncaring sea. Voices could be heard from others from the ship calling out and even occasional sounds of happiness as some seemed to be able to help others out of the danger. I struggled and floundered with the cold water and had trouble keeping my head above water.

I had already been unable to keep air in my lungs and had sunk below the surface a few times before finding the strength to kick and stroke and force myself back to the life-giving oxygen above.

It took what felt like an eternity, but I finally saw what appeared to be a life raft coming into view just ahead of me. Desperately I pushed forward hoping that I could find refuge there. Surely, the people there would come to my rescue if I could just get their attention in some way.

I yelled as loudly as I could. It worked! They heard me, and a few of them even acknowledged my plight. My rescue was imminent, and I was going to be ok.

My newfound saviors embraced me and welcomed aboard with open arms. Everything was going to be fine. I was going to make it after all. I could now begin to relax and allow myself to live life back in a state of calm again.

After only a very short time with my new crew, our vessel began to take on water. I was panicked. I had only just gotten here and begun to feel accepted among my new liberators. Everyone seemed to react in different ways. A few of them jumped overboard, choosing to take their chances with the treachery of the ocean rather than risk being pulled down with the rip current from the sinking ship, as had happened to me on my last craft.

To my horror, I found that some of this new crew were drilling holes in our hull! When confronted, they said that they were trying to “Let the water out.” Did they not see how their actions were making the situation exponentially more dangerous to our survival?

Now, here I sit. In this new boat that seems to be sinking, albeit, more slowly than my last. What do I do? How do I survive? Do I follow the lead of others and jump overboard in hopes of finding another rescuer? I feel so lost.