02/02/18. 22:23. Day 33. Swim. "Morning. You set foot on the shore and glance at the vast ocean ahead. You dip your little toes in... For some it's cold, for others warm. Those around you are diving in A few getting taught to swim. You see splashes past the shallow waters Flailing arms and shrieks and cries Your feet take you to them Stepping first Then paddling You somehow reach them, below the surface now. You cannot see They cannot breathe Not enough strength in your frail teenage arms to hold you both afloat-- It's sink or swim. Upon the horizon lies a storm But the safety of the coast is no longer in sight. The heads of other humans (other lives who have tried without succeeding and loved and lost and ) pinpricks in front of you. You start toward them because you must not because you want to. A strong swimmer you become Life's ocean cannot pull you under Whether storm or riptide, tsunami or quicksand: You escape the tragedies those around you fail at. For isn't everything a fine line that either divides or unites us? Some luckier, or rather richer, folk pass you on boats, gliding towards the foreseeable end. What you are well aware of is they will get there faster, but have less stories to tell. What of the people that did not get a teacher, a guiding hand to set them afloat? The sea of life is reckless, but it is also calm. And beautiful. Days when the morning sky is reflected in the slate-like pan of its mirror image reflection. Nights when the stars are so bright you can see the Milky Way. And float like you're an astronaut. And breathe. Those are the moments I strive for. You either sink or swim There's no such thing as just managing to keep afloat. We will all sink Some of us will drown Those are our destinies. We each get an equal choice how well and how fast and how long we will swim." -Archer
