Faith Leaps Into Clear Water

The Mediterranean was a vibrant aquamarine, shifting to a deep, pthalo blue with each ripple from the gentle off-shore breeze. The nine of us stood atop a bright-white, asteroid-sized rock just a meter from the shore. The short hike-and-climb to the rock had broken a clean, refreshing sweat in each of us. Such had been the story of our first week in Altea. The sun, which hung above our left shoulders at 38° Celsius had no trouble convincing us that a plunge into the sea should be our first priority. I don’t remember who jumped first – Jason or Scuba – but the thrill mounted after each one catapulted themselves from the rock’s edge into to while the water below waited for us: breathtakingly clear, sublimely beautiful and completely irresistible. 

Finally it came to be my turn. My approach was a bit awkward and my stride was interrupted by a nervous stutter-step as I neared the ledge, but I flung myself off with all the velocity I could manage. Now in free-fall, my mind cycled through all possible split-second realizations on the way to the water below: .02 seconds spent wondering Lord, what have I done, .01 seconds contemplating the fact that throwing oneself off of a rock into water is an absurd activity (and must look particularly strange to the non-human animals looking on in entertained confusion), .03 seconds wondering if I’d applied enough sunscreen , and .01 seconds thinking about how white my legs looked beneath me… but then, in an immeasurable moment of sublime clarity, in which normal thought patterns cease – the magnitude, glory and overwhelming beauty of the sea caused time to stop all together.

Seemingly suspended in mid air, a split-second before colliding with the water – everything was completely serene – beauty opened her arms in a welcoming embrace and I gave myself completely over to the fall. As I let go of everything, my collision with the crystalline surface changed everything. The transcendent disruption of the crash caught me up – wrapped in translucent beauty – as cool as it was clear. The heat of the day turned from scorching annoyance to celebratory warmth as I returned to the surface – my eyes clear, full of azure sky. I felt my smile widen as I saw the next diver hurl herself toward the water with an involuntary squeal/squeak/scream of combined terror and delight.

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Yee and The Edge Project.