New Depths

I walked into the aquarium halfheartedly. It was just going to be another day of wandering about life. There was no darkness here to the naked eye though. The aquarium is full of light, and depths already known to man. Water here travels nowhere as far as the oceans. This is used as a place of escape and wonder for humans. Unfortunately, the life inside these walls knows nothing of those things. Does the lack of those two aspects in one's life lead to a feeling of being lost?

After paying for my ticket, I came to a crossroads of sorts. Signs were pointing in three specific directions. Those with young children were taking the first tunnel towards more interactive exhibits. The second tunnel appeared to attract those closer to my age. The third tunnel held interest in the older crowd's eyes. There were a few elders dispersing from the larger crowd to take this last remaining route. It was as if life's paths were diverging. I could have read the signs to see which intrigued me most. Instead, I observed. I let this observation carry me down the path. It was as if a current of water swept me away at last.

Feeling lost in life myself, I started walking with the senior citizens. I figured I may speak to someone to gain wisdom from them. Then I would work my way back through the remaining tunnels’ exhibits. I walked down the last tunnel, looking to my left and my right, with nobody standing in front of those walls of water. These bodies of water were as clear as day. I saw no life in them. Before the curve of the tunnel, I saw the same view of a clear blue wall of water. However, at this wall I saw an elderly man standing with his cane.

I first walked up to the blue wall, and then started staring every which way into the water to find the life form he must have been staring at. My eyes darted from one area of water to the next. But to no avail, my eyes did not deceive me. I so badly wanted to see a form of life, plain and simple. I jumped as this stranger grabbed my hand! His cane had switched hands to support his side farthest from me. His thumb gently caressed the top of my hand.

"Life isn't meant to be examined that intently, dear."

As he turned towards me to say this, a lone turtle appeared as if to come out of nowhere from the left wall of water. I smiled at him as the turtle appeared before us. He gestured with his cane to the sign about the exhibit. I read that this turtle finds a mate for life. Like this man, this turtle must have lost their mate. A single tear rolled down the man's face as he continued to hold my hand. He let my hand go, with a movement of his arm, to indicate I should move along.

I felt loneliness as the old man did, but I had not known what it was to lose a great love to death. In the second tunnel with those closer to my age, I found what appeared to be hundreds of jellyfish floating. These beings called to me. I remained still as a jellyfish in water. As a jellyfish does not realize it's conscious, I didn't notice myself. Where would I now go? The path I had been on in life had led to a different outcome than expected, I stood by myself trying to figure out where to go from here. As I stood alone, another unfamiliar hand grabbed mine. I looked up to someone close in age and he took me to the final tunnel. I was comforted as we saw the families and what life could be like for all of us that felt lost.