Whales, Gratitude and Annoying Cliches
It was nothing less than an all out Billy Manas state of emergency.
There’s a story about a whale by the San Francisco shore that was nearly in danger of dying because it became entangled in all of these lines and crab nets and could not get back out to the ocean. She was, for all intents and purposes, stuck. The decision to try to effect a rescue was a tough one, because if the whale began to thrash about, it would have undoubtedly proved to be fatal for everyone involved. One of the rescuers, James Moskito, said that they decided to risk it. It was such a beautiful whale, they couldn’t bear the thought that she might die because of their fear–justified or not.
There was no way for them to rescue her besides each of them simply cutting the lines with what essentially amounted to scissors. The process took nearly an hour even with half a dozen of them. After a very long and death defying sixty minutes, the whale was finally free. Instead of turning around and jetting out to the ocean, the whale swam to each individual rescuer and nuzzled them with her snout. It was believed that she was thanking each one of them.
Well the story was such an odd one, that many people believed it was simply a legend. It does turn out that it is a true story, though. It happened in 2005. The point of it, as far as I can see, is that gratitude is such a universal feeling, even a mammal weighing close to 100 tons will feel it at times.
Now, if you read my article from last week “A Mid-life Crisis Without the Ugly Convertible,” you’ll know I was in a desperate place. I was allowing the world to have its way with me. My apartment was beginning to look terrible and I was beginning to look terrible-but even worse than all of that was the way I was feeling inside.
Lost.
Now if you read that article, you also know that I gave myself a talking to. Life experience had taught me to begin small and build upon whatever minor successes I began to have. I started by cleaning my kitchen, expanded to the other rooms in my apartment and eventually landed right at the man in the mirror. What I saw in that mirror was what needed most of my attention.
I needed to start detoxing my entire body and I knew it was not going to be an easy task. Everywhere you look these days, there’s Delta 8, Delta 9–now even Delta 10, available for purchase at any gas station you like. Many liquor stores are open seven days a week. All this stuff as far as the eyes can see and even if one was willing to put in some effort, insomnia was just the sort of thing to lead an inspired person to rethink their decision.
I, however, was profoundly sick and tired of being sick and tired. And of having a gross apartment. And of paying close to $40 for dinner every time I needed to use DoorDash because I didn’t feel safe driving. And isolating in my apartment any time I was not at work. And of playing and singing like shit. And of altogether losing my creative voice.
It was nothing less than an all out Billy Manas state of emergency.
As it generally goes with this sort of transformation, all one need do is focus on getting through the day. It’s best not to spend any time worrying about the next day until it arrives. This, as you may have already guessed, is the principle largely responsible for those annoying bumper stickers that say “One Day at a Time.” It turns out that annoying cliches usually possess quite a bit of wisdom. The phrase can’t help it if it’s overused and annoying. It’s people who are usually responsible for all of that.
Needless to say, though I’m going to say it anyway, as each day came and went and sleep got easier and easier, my life and my outlook began to improve almost drastically. Last night, I went and got sashimi after work and paid substantially less money for it because I did not have to cough up a $15 surcharge for someone to leave it on my doorstep. Then I ran through my setlist and I could hear how well I was doing with that. Then I drove to the supermarket at 9pm–something that was simply out of the question for months–and got that chore out of the way.
I have become nothing short of the whale who has been freed of the plastic lines and crab nets and I kind of feel like each and every person who is reading this article right now was, in some small way, a scuba diver with a set of shears that helped get me on my way back out to the deep blue sea.
This particular article is my way of nuzzling each of you before I go.
I say this because despite the fact that I allowed myself to isolate and hide from the world, each and every one of you were there with your words, your comments, your thoughts, your messages and your love. If I could possibly give each of you a hug, I would.
This small piece will have to suffice.
Thank you.
WOW Billy, this is amazing, and I will gladly bring scissors to cut your binds anytime. Inspiring piece and kudos to you for recognizing you needed help and allowed maitri to guide you. Hearts to you.
i get it. all of it. glad you're feeling better.