Let there be light

This is a true story.

Life is a twisting, turning adventure. You never know where it’s going to take you. Perhaps you will travel through darkness but then find light. Maybe you will lose your way, venture from what you believe in. Sometimes it takes getting lost to find who you are.

The main cavern was dimly lit from the sunlight. The farther in we swam, the less I could see. Then we came to a three-foot gap in the rock wall. I would have never known it was there but Jessie, our youth leader, showed it to us. Of course being as prepared as we always are, no one thought to bring a flash light. This little expedition was on a whim.  I felt my way into the threadlike passageway. It was so narrow that we were forced to travel in a line. I turned to the person on my left and asked, who are you?  I tried to make out some familiar features, but I couldn’t. It was absolute darkness. Its me, David, he said laughing.

Because the space we were in was so narrow, it was hard to tread water, so I clung to the wall of rock for dear life. I felt like a sardine being crammed into a container and squashed up against everyone else. It felt very claustrophobic, but I did not dare to separate myself from the group.

Acknowledging my desperate attachment to the group reminded me of when I was little. The fair was something I always looked forward to. The classic Merry Go Round music blaring, the smell of cotton candy drifting through the air, and sounds of children laughing and shrieking. I was filled with excitement, eager to go on my favorite ride, The Airplane. Walking through the grounds with my mother, I looked at the other children. I saw one kid, maybe 6, just a year younger than I. The poor girl had what looked like a frog backpack on. Attached to the pack was a leash. My eyes followed the line up to the hand of a gawky looking man. I laughed at what I was seeing. The idea of a child on a leash seemed silly to me. Have children become the new ‘got to have’ house pet? I looked up to my mom happy to point out the humorous sight but she was nowhere to be found. Concern clenched my body like an iron fist. Where is my mom? There I was standing in a sea of people, alone. Then a moment later my mother was calling out to me, just a few yards away. I ran and took her hand, careful to never lose sight of her again. With her once again, my heart filled with gratefulness for her companionship, the same way I felt with my friends in that dark cave.

    The freezing water brought me back to reality. The black water felt like hundreds of needles pricking my skin.  It was the kind of coldness that stops your heart for a split second. Cold enough to chill your body to the core. The water below me was an endless darkness, like outer space. If I pushed off the rock maybe I would float on forever eventually passing various stars, planets and solar systems.

Like groundhogs, we made our way through the dark tunnels.  We twisted and turned according to Jessie’s instructions. I began feeling anxious and ready to see some light but at the same time I still had my sense of excitement and adventure. Eventually we came to what I thought was the end of the tunnel, everyone had stopped moving, I could hear Jessie telling one of the boys to hold his breath. Your kidding me! I thought as several horrific scenarios played out in my mind. There was no way I could do this, hold my breath, go under water in a cave where nothing was visible. I might run out of air or lose track of where I’m going. What if I drown? By now I could hear Jessie in front of me. He must have been crammed in the small area between the rock and me.

All right come here, he said.
I can’t see anything, I replied.
Its fine, hold your breath, okay, he told me.
I was about to reply No, NOT okay! when I felt his hand push me under water.

Seconds later I surfaced. Jessie had pushed me under the partly submerged rock wall that I previously believed to be the end of the tunnel. When I opened my eyes once again I saw nothing, just vast darkness. It was a comfort to tread water beside David again or anyone for that matter. We traveled just a little farther and I could see the bright glow of light. It must be my eyes playing tricks on me, I figured. When it’s pitch-black and there is nothing to see your eyes begin to frantically search for anything. Right when you think you see light you realize it was just wishful thinking or perhaps the side effects from your eyes straining too hard.

However this light in front of me was real, It had to be. I was able to see the silhouettes of people around me and this time when I held my hand to my face I could see it! Everyone began to climb up the rock ledge that led the way out. I swam up to the rock and there was my friend’s hand outstretched to pull me up. Soon we were standing outside in the sunshine, the sweet beautiful sunshine.