The Hours of Light

Today is a travel day of sorts. Our daughter, Michelle, and I are driving for hours later so that in the oh bright early that is tomorrow she can run, and I can walk, a relatively short distance to support the fight against breast cancer. That, however, is a tale for the telling tomorrow and I shall, regardless if you are to read it (I don't think it really matters to me).

I found a story that cheered me to my core which I want to share with you in the event you are in need of a moment to exhale, decompress and just smile at a world that goes on around us despite (and often because of) what we do and don't do to, and for, one another and all the creatures with whom we share the planet.

Stories about dolphins have always fascinated me, even before the magic of Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. A fish that's really a mammal, smart as a whip and faster than lightning. What's not to love?

I hope, more than actually believe, the story's suggestion of a language and yes, I get all the disclaimers and the warnings. Talk about harshing my buzz, or as a dolphin might say, 'click-click, pop-click!' or sounds to that effect. I will hang my desire for this to be real and true right up there with Jiminy Cricket's wishing star because we all share the planet with too many people who make  your brain hurt just thinking about talking to them. I should know, I am one.

Dolphins would freshen up the IQ pool which is in desperate need of chlorination, and maybe even fluoridation as well, and I get excited thinking about what we could learn from them when or if we discovered and demarcated our similarities and differences.

I assume they would not root for or against the Miami Marlins, or the New Orleans Pelicans out of professional courtesy and I'm pretty sure offering them a tuna fish sandwich in light of close calls on the high seas would be a major social faux pas. But we have years of worry and work as a species before we get to have any of those concerns (assuming we don't manage to poison the planet or set it alight in a nuclear accident in the meantime).

"Farewell Plymouth, your morning cold and grey is painting shadows on my thoughts. And we're bound for nowhere. Joseph, I know you're trusting me to see you right.And I know you can't stand the fighting for one more night.

"Joseph, the mud gives way to coral somewhere and the hours of light they last and last. We'll see no more hostile flag there from craft unknown. We will have grown free from sighing. Singing the dolphin through; singing the dolphin through; singing the dolphin through still waters."
-bill kenny