Bobbing Seaside

A fishing bob is a buoyant, usually red, piece of cork used to suspend fishing line. The line is cast into the water and the bobber rests on top. As the waves lap around it, sometimes it remains fully submerged in water, other times it trembles just above, basking under a scorching sun. Sometimes, I like to think of human existence using the analogy of the bobber. Everyday, we are constantly bombarded by negativity and violence. We bounce along, contemplating our existential conflicts. We are one among billions of bobbers in an endless ocean. And sometimes it is so easy to slip under the water, to want to isolate yourself from all the troubles, to find solitude in the confines of your own silent bubble. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the tribulations of daily life and become caught in a cloud of cynicism. But no matter how much it wants to, the bobber can't stay under water and it emerges again into the light of day. In literature, the color red, like the bobber, signifies a beacon and a desire for attention. I think it is a beautiful thought that no matter how dark the world gets, we will send our beacons of light up, to let others know we are here. And we will ride the waves of our worries together.