kONA

He limped to the aluminum stairs that lead to the water's edge. His ankle bone is fused to his foot, so he could only wear a swim fin on his left foot. I could tell he was scared. "I'm going to be right next to you the whole time so don't worry" I said. We slowly entered the water. It was a beautiful day and the water was crystal clear. "First , you have to practice purging your snorkel". He put on his mask and snorkel while holding on to the body board. He began to hyperventilate, but after about 15 seconds his breathing began to take on a regular rhythm. He practiced his breast stroke while kicking with his left foot. I suggested that I swim away a few yards with the body board and then he swim towards me. He did . His snorkel purging was excellent. Now he was swimming on his own and looking at the small multicolored reef fish that were swimming around the coral outcroppings 15 feet below the surface. He started to laugh through his snorkel. "What's so funny ?" I asked. "I've just never seen this many fish before" he responded. So these were just happy giggles. His fear was gone and he was swimming around no longer conscious of the fact that he was 30 yards from shore and I was 5 yards away.

The joy I had experienced in helping someone else was greater than anything I have felt in a long time. He was happy that I took him to a place where he felt comfortable. He felt as though he could trust me with his life. Now he wants to go to South Point. A place where the sea floor drops off to thousands of feet and fish are abundant. He has seen me free dive there , and I told him that I know of a cave where a giant lion fish lives. It is a gorgeous fish with a potent venom in the spines of of it's dorsal fins. He wants to see it and all of the other fish that inhabit the area. He has overcome his fear of the ocean in a day, and I had the privilege to be there. It was just a great feeling.