Max Davidson

New Appreciations

I sat at the bow of the boat, claustrophobic in my tight wetsuit and afraid that I might accidentally discharge my speargun into one of my flippers. The dark blue abyss mocked the timid high school kid that stared blankly back at it. I could not fathom diving forty feet down in the ocean, finding a sea bass, spearing it, and coming back up all the while holding my breath. Thoughts raced through my mind, each one progressively worse than the other. "Can I even reach the bottom? What if I can't hold my breath long enough? What if I get stuck on the bottom?" After what seemed to be an hour of making weak attempts to psych myself up enough to get in, I felt two hands on my back then a surge of chilly water engulfed my body. I looked back up at the boat seeing my brother grinning from ear to ear.