Tales of a Regular Person

Posing for photos with my friend, Sarah, in over-sized snorkels, as our boat skims over aquamarine depths of fluctuating, endless Caribbean, we progress onward. . Here on the island, locals smile at us without rushing to leave. Their faces, though some are besieged by wrinkles, speak of a youthfulness we cannot replicate with strict American notions of happiness. They know this moment is precious. We are alive. On the island, conversations thrive through receptive eyes, through a place where my status matters less to me than it has most days. On the islands, you learn how to bargain noisily-- how to rip a price through someone’s teeth. And still, peace permeates the days, unfolding from the sun.The days blend together for Sarah and me due to heat, companionship, and a lack of frequent technology. On our ride to the sting rays, we are splashed awake. The Caribbean reprimands you for not paying attention, scolds you for talking over her, for abandoning the moment. We close our eyes in anticipation, but mostly because the saltiness hurts them. Venturing into the waters, I am a piece of the island, part of the ocean’s breath. My heart is the echo of coral reefs blooming, steering life with tendrils of feet. Fellow travelers have begun to search for sting rays. Glued eyes wade through waves, forgetting about what is for lunch and if they should transfer money from their savings. I drag my forefinger over the water, which is up to my chest, barely touching it. Moan-screaming in panic, Sarah and I jump as the rays slide against our sides and feet. Our skin is a straight jacket stunting our escape. Sarah’s hair trails through the air as she jumps, clasping her face. Once we retrieve our sanity, we see my mom comfortably supporting the underbelly of a ray like it’s one of her own. I tense up immediately, uncertain that I can hold this breathing thing like it’s an inanimate object incapable of hurting me. But, I offer myself to the rays, choosing to believe that they will not harm me. I pet a patient ray on its smooth, flattened head, flinching at first. For a minute, we exist in the same realm, shrouded by the same light.The connectedness of life is so evident that I want to recede into the salt and the air and watch this interaction from above my body. I am two eyes in an entire world of creatures who help each other see.