OCEAN Archives - Page 21 of 38 -

Dare to Dream

By Simone Lipscomb | March 26, 2015

On the eve of a trip to visit with humpback whales I reflect. The bags are packed, the gear is loaded in my car for a 3.30am departure for the airport. Now, nothing to do but wait until it is nighttime for rest. On this dark, wet day the softness, gentleness of the rain has surrounded me with calm as I have finished the final tasks.

In fact, the entire week has been a week of inner calm, a direct opposite of last week when I was traveling and found out a space had opened up on a whale trip. Last week…chaos. This week…calm. Sweet, beautiful calm.

When I first heard whale song it deeply touched me. Roger Payne, back in 1967, first recorded whales (with Scott McVay). It was probably in the 1970’s that I heard his recording which was used to help promote an end commercial whaling in most of the world. Whale song travels across entire oceans. Perhaps their song was a call to action to my young environmentalist heart and to many others.

A couple years ago Bryant Austin published a book called Beautiful Whale. His project was the first life-size photographic documentation of whales. He basically sold everything he had, built a computer to handle the size of the files and proceeded to create a most amazing project. His work deeply touched me.

Around that same time I decided to paint a mural in my office and was inspired to paint a cosmic scene with stars and Earth. Floating in the Cosmos was humpback whales.

My daughter and son-in-law made a cool project for me that had the word ‘dream’ on it. I placed it under the cosmic whale mural and see it every day when I work.

Last summer my artist cousin told me of a program at an art museum in Pensacola. Roger Payne was speaking about a project Ocean Alliance had been doing with sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico over the past several years. I heard him speak, met the crew and toured their research vessel.

In January I had a very wild experience on the way to Crystal River. I was listening to a John O’Donohue recording on Beauty and had paused it to speak into my voice recorder to take notes about my life dreams. At that moment, I glanced over my left shoulder and a huge, double rainbow was in the sky. I pulled up to a traffic signal and the name of the cross street was, Follow That Dream Parkway. I met a marine biologist and his wife from Australia and he encouraged me to visit Tonga and their humpback research station later in the year.

The entire series of events was put into motion by a very significant push to leave a day early for Crystal River. I listened, packed my stuff, and arrived a day early. The next day on the manatee trip I met Rich and learned of his work in marine education. After sharing a boat trip with Rich, Deb and Indiah and friendly manatees in Homosassa and having a very nice dinner with them, it felt like a series of doors begin to open within me.

I wasn’t sure about Tonga…it’s a very long trip for a solo traveler but other options were possible off the Silver Bank near the Dominican Republic. I remembered the captain of a live aboard dive boat’s encouragement a couple years ago to go with their crew on a whale trip and long story short I was chosen from a waiting list to go…just 10 days ago.

As I reflect back on this long love for humpback whales, I’ve been pulling on the thread a bit. How did this trip come about? What is it about? Where is this open door taking me?

The best way I can explain it is simply…surrender.

The words of John O’Donohue ignited a spark that was lit long ago and finally I have the courage to follow the dream. I’m not fearful of whales or the ocean. What’s held me back is fear of surrender. Surrender to my dreams. If I completely surrender and follow the Path that is opening before me, what will be the outcome?

What if I dare to live my dream? What if I surrender to that teenage heart that was so moved by whale song? What if I give myself the necessary tools to create the vision that is within…that perhaps I was born with?

I don’t know the outcome. I don’t know if whales will show up for those of us making the pilgrimage. I suppose the true pathway to our dreams comes with each small step we make in the direction of them.

On New Year’s Eve I sensed a huge change coming in 2015. The message I received during my meditation that night was: I can no longer hide from the world. It is time to fully engage and remove anything covering the light I wish to bring to the world.

This afternoon, as I reflect back through my life, I see where whales have always been deep within my consciousness. The other night I had a dream: I arrived at the boat where we’ll be spending the week. The crew was giving me a tour. In the center of the boat was a moon pool but instead of going into the ocean it was the Cosmos…the starry heavens. I looked within it and dolphins and whales breached. And then I woke up and scribbled notes so I would remember.

I want to remember…I want to awaken to the wisdom calling me.

What is your dream?

Moods of the Gulf

By Simone Lipscomb | February 23, 2015

*Gulf of Mexico iPhone photograph feb 22, 2015*

Warm morning temperatures called me to the Gulf yesterday and within a few minutes of checking the ambient temperature–63 degrees–my feet were splashing through chilly water. I didn’t take my camera so I could simply lose myself in the wild beauty but sometimes an iPhone gets the idea across when it’s just too beautiful not to take a photograph.

*Sunset Gulf Shores, Alabama 2014 with iPhone*

I grew up on the Alabama Gulf Coast and loved it but moved away at various times of my life. The latest time living away from the beach was a span of almost 20 years. While I loved the mountains of North Carolina, I am most happy here, where my blood resonates with the salt of the sea…or maybe Bonaire which is my home away from home. I’ve been back home almost three years…is that POSSIBLE? It’s a great place to live but don’t tell anybody!

The Gulf of Mexico is a wild body of water that can appear soft and gentle as well as wild in a crazed frenzy. Whatever the mood, I love this beautiful body of water that is part of the One Ocean and am happy that I can have my toes in wet sand with just a short drive.

The mountains are still dear to me and are a refuge for me, but the open horizon of the Gulf of Mexico and the system of waterways connected with it are magic for my wild self.

*Pre-dawn moments Gulf State Park Pier Autumn 2014*

Knowing is the Key to Caring

By Simone Lipscomb | February 10, 2015

Sylvia Earle wrote, “Knowing is the key to caring, and with caring there is hope that people will be motivated to take positive actions. They might not care even if they know, but they can’t care if they are unaware.”

My wish is for every human to know the beauty of the Ocean, the importance of it to human survival, and how simple actions can help right the degeneration humans have caused.

Beauty feeds our soul. Without the magnificent wonders of the planet would we find joy? Would we feel happiness? Could we find motivation?

The plankton in our seas create the majority of oxygen on our planet. Trees are important but up to 85% of the oxygen we breathe is produced in the Ocean. Think about that as you inhale. What goes into our streams, rivers, and bays enters the Ocean and affects the growth of plankton….if we want to continue to breathe we must consider the Ocean.

Simple actions we can do to help:

-Recycle all plastic

-Reuse plastic bottles and never purchase bottled water

-Reuse bags and forget plastic shopping bags

-Turn off all lights not in use

-Consolidate trips using your vehicle

-Walk or ride your bicycle when you can

-Join a conservation group that helps protect watersheds or other water resources

-Eat only sustainable fish if you must eat seafood

-Participate in water clean-ups

-Walk along the beach or shore, take photographs, share with friends

-Read a book on the Ocean

-Write a poem about the Ocean….or paint a canvas

Permission for Passion

By Simone Lipscomb | February 9, 2015

The sea spoke to me this morning. For the second day I visited Her to connect, to pray, to ask for a vision. As the chilly, salt water caressed my ankles and splashed my legs, blue water peace filled me and insight came.

Last night was melt-down time. The actions of the past two weeks of forward direction, financial pay-out to that forward direction and future possibilities stood around me. They were like wild flames encircling me…a lot of money has gone out of my account and it scared me. Doubt began to rough me up and shake me. It was not a fun evening.

Arguments for proceeding through the opening echoed in my mind while voices of fears screamed. It would be safe to say that Monkey Mind was loose and gave a wild ride. Just shut the F**** up! All of you!!! Just shut up!!!

After wrestling with some old negative messages and emotions for hours yesterday, I managed to sleep and awakened to Willie Fay cat’s insistence to go onto the screened porch. It was barely light so I hurriedly dressed and grabbed my camera and headed toward the Gulf. If the next part of my life is going to be focused on the Ocean, then I wanted to connect with Her and feel my toes in salt water. And see if answers would come.

A few weeks ago the opening doors left little doubt of the next steps in life but on this side of the events, I began to feel fear. I’ve invested a lot of money into my work, with little financial return and I felt guided to lay out more big money for gear as well as for two more books. No question about doing it. The point of struggle was the fact that former work hasn’t paid for itself even though the message is well-received and appreciated by those who read my books or see my photographs.

I started to doubt my sanity for investing further in the work that is about healing environmental and societal hurts. The money I have saved will, at some point, be used up. Wouldn’t a wise woman with no retirement plan save that money and just forget her dream of making a positive difference on the planet? That’s such a lofty goal anyway.

The message I received from the sea was this: I am breaking free of old, societal conditioning. As I take this next big step those old voices of fear arise. I don’t want to be a prisoner to them. I want to live my life dedicated fully to helping…the ocean, people, ocean creatures. I want to be a bridge between nature and humans. I can’t do that if I hide in fear.

Today I had a vague memory of myself as a child being so afraid that I had caused something to happen because I had wished for it. I recognized, even then, that we have the power to create our lives and it scared me. Now I realize that we are indeed co-creating our lives by what we dwell on, what we hold in our minds.

I came to realize that I assessed value on my work by how many books sold, how many photographic prints sold and the fact that my creative efforts were not paying the bills. Thankfully, I have savings but the work of my heart has not provided for me physically. I heard an inner voice ask: Does it matter where the money comes from if it supports your work? In that moment I realized that I had placed the value of my work in the hands of others who may or may not purchase my books, my photographs. I was contemplating allowing other people determine if I continue on with the work I feel so powerful about doing. I was, in fact, giving my power away to others. A big mistake indeed for it puts brakes on my life’s work.

With the contemplation and realizations, I decided to allow myself permission to want something…allow myself to express the passion that fills me and do the work. I love the Ocean and Her creatures. It is my desire to dedicate my life to working toward creating a connection between the saltwater environments and humans…so more people will care, so the Ocean will be valued and all creatures within it respected. This is what I want to do with the rest of my life. I give myself permission to fully engage in this work and gratefully walk through open doors and follow the path that rises up to meet me. All is well…and all will be well. I know this to be true.

What passion is calling you? What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Beginning today…in this moment?

Divine Madness

By Simone Lipscomb | February 6, 2015

Divine Madness: Following my heart’s vision…no matter how crazy it seems, no matter what fear whispers in my ear…daring to listen…be open to the tapping of the Ocean’s liquid fingers upon my heart…calling me….calling me home.

I recognized fear was slyly hanging out in the background with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. To move past it, I had to go through it. The steady beat of the frame drum took me deeper into my fear until I came out on the other side. There I found communion with the sea. There I found peace…and laughter–laughter derived from an open heart. I was prompted to look at my old writing to find evidence left for myself with paper and pen.

“The silver water reflects the golden glow of the slowly fading day. Puffy white clouds hang suspended, weightless. In the distance, towering thunderheads look down on us, their anvil heads flattened in the thinning atmosphere.

Golden rays of sunlight cut through the anvils creating a golden mist through which we fly. Small, green, jungle-covered islands lie below as we follow the leeward islands to our destination. Just now, the small island below is shaped like a sperm whale. A fringing reef creates a light turquoise border and a deeper indigo leads out to sea.

Slowly we move, our propellers keeping us to a respectable, relaxed speed. I don’t want to hurry. I want to soak up this beauty.

The water is golden now, orange-tinted gold water filling me with such peace. Above this liquid light and layers of yellow mist I reflect back to my first dive trip when my mermaid self was released from her shell. She willingly and freely allowed me to pack her green iridescence among my wet dive gear as I tearfully flew home. She doesn’t care where she resides, as long as she and I are one. As long as I promise to dive and keep her home as my second home, we co-exist peacefully. She and I, mermaid and human with a cetacean soul.

My mermaid self, green and glistening scales shimmering and shaking with excitement, is smiling. Before too long we will be exploring reefs, playing once again in turquoise bliss.

As I glance back, behind my perch inside the plane, a line of intense sky-blue color pierces the cloud bank and sits atop greenish orange layers of early evening sky. Then the warmth of the golden sun breaks through layers of crazy colors and caresses my face. I am part of this magnificent moment, this blessed unfolding of darkness as it makes its way across the heavens.

Finally, the orange orb slips quietly into the waiting embrace of the mighty ocean.

In the after-sunset glow, the ocean has turned into a lavender expanse of immense potential…for peace, for power…unlimited lavender love-filled ocean. I drift along through the sky, knowing that words can no longer express this bounty of beauty spread horizon to horizon. I must be content gazing into it and allowing it to fill me, wash me clean with its power.

I close my eyes and see the goddess of the sea walking on mist-covered cloud canyons, suspended over the ocean. The ocean is her skirt, pearls drape her skin and water droplets, sparkling in the orange light of sunset reflect the magic. Her hair is long strands of seaweed, her eyes deep indigo and she raises her arm and points to me and calls me to her. Flames come from her eyes, her finger tips and mouth as she sings to me the song of my soul.

Feel your power, daughter of mine. Feel the energy of your soul coursing through your veins. Claim your self. Free yourself. Free woman, holy woman. Yours are the skirts of fire-red sunsets. Yours are the eyes of deep Earth. Your feet walk among green mountains, your soul soars in the sky. Dive among the waters but know, this is a gift of time given to you. Shape shift to your dolphin self and be with the joy that is you. Submerge in the baptism of salt water, be free in your mind and heart. You walk in two worlds, daughter. Full of promise, full of light. Let your gentle soul find expression. You have passed the test and now have earned your freedom to dance among the stars and dive in the depths of indigo. Follow your heart. Follow your creativity. Don’t worry. Don’t press. Relax and allow your creative energies to be freed. Allow….it’s your time.

She lifts a conch to her lips and blows into its spirals. She has sounded my name and I answer with happiness and gratitude.”

From a box of musings, July 2001.

“A silver moon glade rippled across the surface of the ocean. The black velvet sky was sprinkled with twinkling stars. The ocean was calm, hardly rocking the boat.

I stood on deck, gazing into the intense light reflected on the water. A slight breeze stirred my hair and kissed my bare skin. I felt the pull of the full moon and ocean in my soul like a bow being drawn across strings of a cello.

As the moon continued to rise over open ocean, the turquoise water became transparent. It was difficult to tell if the light was coming from the moon or somewhere below the water’s surface. Light bounced off the white, sand bottom and produced visions of otherworldly realms.

Nearby the exhalation of a dolphin broke my reverie and I tried to find her but she remained a mystery, hidden from view below the surface. I longed to dive in yet the moonlight held me transfixed. I could only stand in utter gratitude, feeling the elements around and within me. Joy bubbled up from deep inside of me and I laughed out loud.

When I looked into the velvet night and gazed at the twinkling diamonds floating there as stars, I felt the creative force so huge, so immense. The starlight called me and something from deep within answered and was born.

In those magic moments I saw the stars as stepping stones, lighting our path home as we move closer and closer to Source. Each star we reach fills us with more love. Each leap we make clears out more of who we are not to bring us into closer alignment with who we are–children of light.”

And one more excerpt from October 2007:

“Over the years my goals, while underwater, have changed. At first, I simply wanted to remember enough of what I was supposed to learn in my scuba class to stay alive. Gradually, I added tasks such as photography or navigation to build my skills. Now, years after my first underwater breath on scuba, I simply enjoy being still and becoming a member of the watery community.

For instance, this morning I watched minute-sized crabs, no bigger than the nail of my little finger and white as the sand, move about the bottom and eat. I have no idea what they were eating because I could barely see them, much less their food.

I also watched the rays of the sunrise penetrate the water and illuminate the white sand into moving patterns of geometric wonder. Few things in life are as precious to me as moments observing life in a salty, liquid environment.”

Through these and other bits of writing I unearthed today, I saw the strong desire to help the Ocean, to be an advocate for all life in the sea. The last line from my October 2007 trip to Bonaire was this: Follow my deep, deep love of the Ocean. Write a love story to the Ocean.

When I have doubts about the direction I’m heading, it helps to review the breadcrumbs I’ve left behind in the form of my writing. One sentence stood out among the many pages I read today: “If the Ocean is the passion that lights my heart, wouldn’t I do everything in my power to document and share the beauty of it so others might see and understand its importance and then take action to protect it.”

Of course.