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:: Sep 6, 10:03 AM

Given my fear of the ocean, most likely from growing up on the tumultuous shores of the San Francisco northwest coast, I decided to conquer that fear by traveling to a clear, calm beach. That took me to Ishigakijima, the southernmost island of Okinawa.

Our flight in was amazing. I could not believe how from an aerial view I could see the coral reef carpeting the shores. All I wanted to do was get closer to it.

When we arrived at the airport, it was wonderful that there really weren’t many people. And once we got on the taxi to our hotel, no one was on the road.

There is so much to chronicle about this trip that I don’t think I will ever get around to posting about it if I try to divulge everything. I am afraid to say it all because I couldn’t. Therefore, I am going to just get right to the meat.

We went diving on our last day there. Washi, the adventurer, me the wuss. Somehow, I agreed to his yearning to go diving. Off the Kabira beach, we rode a boat out a few miles to the open sea. I drank anti-motion-sickness medication, but I still felt like throwing up my insides. Not because of the motion sickness, but because I knew I had not way out – I had to dive. I was wet suited. I was goggled. I was flippered. I had to forget…

About the crashing waves of the west coast. About the cold waters of the Bay. About the fact that I was scared of the ocean. About the fact that because of that fear I had never gone into the ocean.

When the boat was anchored and the diving instructor had me and Washi climb down the ladder, I just tried to imagine that I was just watching TV, that this had to be an out-of-body experience, or else I would hyper-ventilate and drown. Luckily, we were the only ones being instructed and the diving instructor literally held our hands through the process.

I did not want to let go of the ladder. The instructor told me to look down into the ocean. It was mind boggling, I yelled “Oh my god!” with the truest sincerity I have for as long as I can remember. The diving instructor, not knowing I was American, probably thought I was crazy. I felt it.

What I felt for the next 5 minutes was fear. The kind I would think animals feel. It’s fear but it’s pure and you hear yourself breathing. Descending down about 20 feet, I began to lose the concept of time. My breathing, the ocean, this is what it must feel like to be in mom’s belly. But this time, I was conscious.

I truly felt as though a child again. Every movement a revelation, every scene a curiosity. I couldn’t count on landing right side up. And my limbs were out of my control.

After the dive, we boated off to another spot to snorkel. I may have liked snorkeling better. I became one with the ocean surface and the air just above it. And when I saw huge manta rays hovering below, carried by the ocean, I felt like I was in the safest place in the world.

1. I thought fear of water was mostly an Indian thing. Surprisingly few Indians know how to swim. I can barely swim across a swimming pool and I have never ventured in the ocean beying where I can put my feet down.

   As for critters in the water, there is more than sharks to worry about. Jellyfish, piranha, the list goes on.

   Very brave of you …

   — lakshman    Nov 19, 06:11