Life Lessons from the Sea #10: Man-o-war stings and home remedies

Man-o-war we caught 

 

 

 

I love to go snorkeling. Sure, I swallow a bit of saltwater now and then. And the tossing sea sometimes make me feel like I’m gonna toss my breakfast. But it’s worth it. When I strap on my mask and dip my head underwater, I feel like I’m entering a new world. A peaceful silence drifts over me. Purple sea fans sway beneath my body. I watch blue and gold butterfly fish school by in swirling clouds.

But among the splendor, danger also lurks, sometimes within the most lovely of creatures. Sea urchins, with their spectacular spines, are an obvious risk. One touch, and you’ll feel like you’ve tangled with a wasp. Sea anemones inject passing fish with a paralyzing neurotoxin—then eat them. Jellyfish deliver poison-filled darts with venom ranging from irritating to deadly.

My son (who refuses to be named due to extenuating—and disgusting—circumstances) suffered a man-o-war sting this week while we vacationed in Mexico. The ethereal deep blue creature stung his hand while he swam. Not exactly the highlight of his trip.

Coincidentally, I’d read up on jellyfish stings last week. Vinegar or meat tenderizer breaks down the protein-based venom. But all we had at the beach were more, ah, natural remedies. You know, the kind you usually find near a urinal. My son was in enough pain that he finally accepted his uncle’s generous offering, knowing full well that he’d be teased for the rest of his life. His pain disappeared almost immediately.

Back at the hotel, I researched man-o-war venom. Turns out the pain fades after about an hour. So my son’s brush with poor hygiene might not have been exactly necessary. I also learned that man-o-wars are not jellyfish. They’re siphonophores, a whole colony of specialized individuals. In contrast to jellyfish, their venom actually intensifies with vinegar use. So, really, my son should be grateful we didn’t have any.

What situations have you experienced that seemed safe or beautiful, but ended up otherwise? What home remedies work for you? What have yielded strange or unexpected results?

Life Lessons from the Sea #9: Hold fast

The sea teems with life, movement and change. What better place to celebrate the fourth of July?

This year we joined some friends on their new boat to watch fireworks from a barge. We arrived several hours early. The kids whiled away the time jumping off the deck again and again.

Our friends informed us that they’d recently lost their anchor. They’d extended it in deep waters until, plunk, the anchor sank to the bottom with the rope end trailing behind. The previous owners had untied it for some reason that none of us could fathom.

So we drifted. It wasn’t a problem, really. If we floated too close to shore, the barge, or other boats, we simply motored back. As dusk fell, patriotic music sounded across the water. Lights exploded in the sky, followed closely by shuddering booms. Streamers blazed overhead, dripping flames as they slowly descended, held aloft by mini parachutes.

Our kids ran back and forth along the deck to find the best vantage point as our boat shifted in the gentle waves. The booms grew louder, the fireworks bigger until we looked around and saw that we were far beyond the ring of other boats watching the display. We’d drifted into the no-man zone without even realizing it.

Our friend started the engines while a police boat zoomed toward us, emergency lights flashing. But one of our engines was dead. We explained to the police who warned us away. So we motored backward in a sort of circle, our progress painfully slow.

Meanwhile, flames rained down from the sky, much nearer than was exactly comfortable. What had started as a thrilling display was now a source of fear, anxiety, and danger. We powered down the lights on the boat, restarted the generator, and finally managed to get the last engine going. Our friend piloted us to a safe distance where we enjoyed the rest of the show.

But it got me thinking. When we lose our anchors, we drift wherever the sea takes us. There’s no purpose, no direction, nothing to cling to amid turbulent times or in a chaotic world.

Today I celebrate the values this country was founded on, the anchors that keep us safe and strong, unless we lose them: faith in God, hard work, compassion, opportunity, liberty.

What anchors you?

Life Lessons from the Sea #8: Conserve and Protect

More often than I’d like to admit, while walking along what should be a pristine beach, I’ve tangled my feet in fishing line. Pesky little problem and ugly, too. Unfortunately, other signs of human carelessness often litter the drifting sands. A flattened milk jug. A single flip flop. A soda can so worn that its label is all but gone.

Even a little trash along shorelines causes trouble for marine creatures. Ropes, nets, and fishing lines snare whales and dolphins so they cannot surface and breathe. Instead they drown. These manmade traps also entangle sharks, endangering their survival. Refuse destroys habitats and the sea creatures that live in them.

A little help from us goes a long way in protecting nature (ultimately, our own habitat), both above and below water. When we visit a park or a beach, of course we plan to clean up after ourselves. But what if we did a bit more? Pick up trash left by someone else. Coil stray fish lines into a messy ball to tote out when we leave. 

As the saying goes, many hands make light work. Sometimes I see this in my kitchen after dinner (if I’m lucky!). I’ve seen it after the Joplin Tornado when hundreds of youth picked up miniscule scraps of paper plastered all over a local park. An impossible task for one, but something easy and fun for a group. Something they can take pride in, even years later.

What are some ways you protect the environment? How have you seen small efforts by many pay off?

Life Lessons from the Sea #7: Seek Shelter from Storms

A perpetual breeze dances across the ocean, flitting up and down coastlines, bringing with it the smell of salt and a taste of freedom. To me, this breeze is one of the joys of spending time seaside. However, these gentle winds can build, all too quickly, to violent storms that capsize ships, batter shores, damage property, and destroy lives. 

People who live near the coast or make their living on the sea pay close attention to the weather. They watch forecasts and heed warning signs. They board up their windows, move their valued belongings to higher ground, or leave altogether until the danger has passed. Sailors batten down hatches and furl their sails to ride out inevitable storms. Where possible, they hunker down in port to avoid the beating that nature can dole out.

There are some, however, who refuse to shelter in safe places. Often, they bear the brunt of nature’s fury. The resulting devastation can be difficult or impossible to overcome and affects other people as well.

 As Ziggy once said,  “a little rain falls into every life, followed by sleet, hail and damaging winds.” This humorous statement holds water. We all face difficulties at one time or another, usually due to no fault of our own. And we all must learn to cope. However, sometimes our choices land us directly in the path of gale-force winds. 

We should take a lesson from mariners and coast-dwellers. Prepare against the storms of life. Don’t seek them out. The easiest way to do this? Choose what is right. Over and over again. Of course, we’re none of us perfect, but if we form the habit of trying to do right, we’re much less likely to find ourselves suffering amid a storm of violence, addictions, accusations…the list goes on.

What is it about human nature that causes us to sometimes seek out trouble from which we ought to flee? How have you avoided problems that could’ve wrecked your life or harmed the ones you love?