The magnetic pull of the ocean can be healing, spiritual and thought-provoking. It is a mentor. A crash of a wave, the cry of a gull or the salty scent can make us think about where we are in life, where we have been and where we might want to go.
Earlier this year we introduced you to water photographer Jeff Hornbaker and his thoughts about mentoring. His images of the world can teach you how to look in such a magnificent, new and unfathomable way that you will swear after that he MENTORED you to see the best of what the earth has to offer.
The Ocean and it’s many Mentorology messages is one many of us simply cannot live without, and that’s why today on June 8 we are celebrating World Ocean Day with the rest of our planet. Help preserve this magnificence and protect it for our future generations. Help mentor kindness, respect and gratitude for this majestic gift. Organize a beach clean-up or simply re-post this story!
I’d like to inspire you to take action today, on World Ocean Day, with one of my favorite poems written by surfer and artist John O’Brien.
Life on earth depends on a healthy and clean ocean. What will you do to protect it today?
-Dawn Carroll, Over My Shoulder Foundation Co-Founder and Executive Director [/box]
Surfer Dreams by John O’Brien
Every wave has a life and a death.
They are born of winds, gravity, and earthquakes, and live a life of travel until that fateful day
when a reef, point, or sandbar is met and their lives expire
in one final crashing breath.
As in any system, energy is not lost.
When caught, their life is transferred to the surfers who ride them.
In that moment the surfer becomes one with the wave.
This drama of life is played out differently each time.
It ends in a previously unforeseen liquid reward or tragedy:
a graceful glide, exhilarating tube ride, or horrific wipeout.
When all goes well, surfers experience incredible bursts of
euphoria, happiness, and excitement called stoke.
All photography by John O’Brien
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