Gratitude

[Steven_Draker]

http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/0/2/3/8/1/8/1/whale-32039795052.jpeg

 

...The Whale... If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

 

She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat.

 

She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

 

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.

 

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around as she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives. The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

 

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

[bcohen7719]

Overwhelming.

 

BC

[Guest BrandonWilliams]

Steven,

 

You should be wearing silk and not leather in all of your photos. You truly have the heart of a saint. Warmest wishes.

[Rick Munroe]

...The Whale... If you read a recent front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle[/color]

 

It's a sweet story, but do you really think December 11, 2005 is "recent"?

 

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_humpback_whale.htm

[Diverdan]

Wonderful story... I had never heard or seen it before. Thanks for sharing.

[Phil_musc]

Thanks, Steven, for posting this story - a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of life. Even if the story was over five years old (as Rick contends) a little reminder is good.

 

As an aside, hope to see you when you come to Philly!

[ChiTown]

Steven, thanks for sharing the heartwarming story! We all have very much for which to be grateful and all too often fail to adequately express it.

[Toulouse]

Extraordinary story. It's great to read some positive news. SD, Thanks for posting it.

[+ friendofsheila]

A nice story, Steven. Thank you.

[bcohen7719]

re: Ageless Lessons

 

It's a sweet story, but do you really think December 11, 2005 is "recent"?

 

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_humpback_whale.htm

 

The publication date does not matter.

 

Some snippets like this are ageless. They strike one mainly because they show how human beings return to the same questions of what life should mean on our planet, repeatedly. It may be better for one's sense of appreciation to hold back, if possible, on making technical observations like this, howsoever accurate and well-meaning, or even if aiming to be humorous. This is not intended to censor anyone, but encourage

starting a new thread rather than subtracting from the wonderful intentions of an existing one.

 

Many thanks.

 

BC

[Rick Munroe]

It may be better for one's sense of appreciation to hold back, if possible, on making technical observations like this, howsoever accurate and well-meaning, or even if aiming to be humorous. This is not intended to censor anyone

 

LOL I think we have another "Smart Ass" on the board! "Here, let me attempt to censor you while assuring you that I'm not attempting to censor you."

[Guest ChgoBoy]

Anywhere else I've seen this passage quoted, the person mentioned where they had found it.

 

I think that what you might have wanted to share Rick, is that: "Everywhere else I've seen this passage quoted, the person mentioned where they had found it."

 

When a person plagiarizes - It's important to be accurate when recounting their plagiarism and particularly your grammar when recounting it.

 

Let's do everything we can do to prevent this thread from turning into yet another ugly "I hate Benjamin Nicholas" thread. God knows if that were to happen we would have to summon up Daddy from his slumber to close the life of this thread down.

 

Have I mentioned that Benjamin Nicholas is still stealing life from others and placing it on his blog? He's now inferring that he's on "his own" Cher type farewell tour.

 

God help us all with that. And also with the fact that he still views his 30's before him as opposed to being in the middle of them!

 

Sobriety is sooo great! It doesn't force you to change all that much at all!

 

I found this OP thread heartwarming and uplifting. I've shared it with many!

 

I was just confounded however, to be honest, that Ben, while scuba diving, was so much smaller and insignificant-than Skrubber and his bank account appeared to be.

[Rick Munroe]

When a person plagiarizes -

 

I wasn't accusing him of plagiarism! I don't think anybody knows who originally wrote it anyway... I just think, for me personally, it gets confusing when people send me emails or I see something posted and I immediately assume they wrote it themselves but then I find out it was forwarded or copied. I just like to know, that's all. Steven's heart was in the right place and I am a smart ass. That's the whole story.

[Guest ChgoBoy]

I don't think anybody knows who originally wrote it

 

Of course we do.........

 

[video=youtube;iHBqXGLsQI0]

[bcohen7719]

LOL I think we have another "Smart Ass" on the board! "Here, let me attempt to censor you while assuring you that I'm not attempting to censor you."

 

Rick:

 

You're right. I should have just said I found the passage ageless, and left it

at that. Sometimes I write clumsily.

 

BC