Lessons from SCUBA diving

This is the first of some postings I hope to write about the things I have learnt from SCUBA diving.

I had quite an interesting discussion with my brother the other day about the subject and why I don't appear to see as much as he sees when diving. The conclusion I reached is that I tend to look at things at the macroscopic level: I tend to look out for the big things - sharks, dolphins, rays, etc. He, on the other hand tends to look at the microscopic level: He keeps a sharp eye out for the nudibranchs, paperfish and things normally camouflaged.

This past weekend I have been diving at Ponta Malongane in Southern Mozambique - some of the best diving I ever did.

I decided to follow his approach and to re-evaluate my way of diving - and I conclude that I don't look at the macroscopic level. Far worse, I tend to look at holistic level. I try to see the whole picture - which I succeed in - but I do not understand what I see. The reason for that is that I do not understand or fully appreciate the full spectrum of everything I see.

So, what did I do? I emptied my BCD and got a bit closer to the reef. Sure, I still did not see everything there is to see, because when looking at a microscopic level, you will miss some of the big stuff. But in time, you will see everything there is to see. And from there, you can start stepping back and try to see the whole of a reef.

Such, my friends, is life. You need to zoom in on some things, the things that make up the whole. Then you can put some air in your BCD, hover a bit higher and then, when you are peacefully drifting over the Great Reef that is life, will you understand the parts of the whole, and see the whole for what it really is.