While I’m certainly not an expert on the ins and outs of how to live anyone’s life – what has jumped out at me with acute clarity recently is a view of ‘life’ as ‘chapters’. In many ways, I believe this is present with all people, though not always realized as their dividing lines take some close attention to realize where the writing on one page ends and the next begins. Over the past month or so, it’s become increasingly evident that my Chapter 1 has come to a close, and Chapter 2, page 1 is open and being written at this very writing.

I’ve spent the last 18 years living what I’ve referred to here as ‘the life aquatic’. Perhaps a play on Bill Murray‘s (in)famous movie about the intrepid explorer Steve Zissou – though for those who have seen the film and live in this world it’s a dead-on reality. It’s been quite a ride – first learning how to dive and work through tremendous issues with anxiety, my first ‘job’ cleaning boats of all things, college in marine biology and working through the early steps of deeper diving for science, many, MANY years spent on and off Lee Stocking Island building a network of science colleagues for some unknown purpose (though now being realized), nearly a decade of mud diving here in Rhode Island, three successful expeditions funded by National Geographic, an emerging relationship with the American Museum, and so many in-betweens that some might argue its been ‘Volume 1’ rather than ‘Chapter 1’…what a ride. In many ways, this may be the ‘Laws of Attraction’ at work – a sort of predeterminism driven by personal motives and vision…material for a long discussion about psychology and sociology here at some point – quite likely in a ‘Chapter 3’ (hmm).

In the end, what has turned out to be 4000+ hours spent underwater, a very deep appreciation for the value of putting people to work underwater, countless days crippled over in aches and pains (likely mild DCS), and ultimately a new world view closed this chapter. It was marked, most unfortunately, by the untimely passing of a good friend and mentor, after which point I had no choice but to look ahead to new horizons.

‘Chapter 2’ as I am calling it starts here – A New Life in the Sea. Having been afforded a tremendous new opportunity to focus on my bigger picture (arguably THE bigger picture for human civilization), Chapter 2 is poised to change the world as we know it – redefining the human element here on our Blue Planet. It all starts with an Exosuit: www.oceanopportunity.com.

With this next journey has already come some sacrifice – namely much less time in the water than I’ve spent in years, but it’s all for the sake of laying down new groundwork, and new beginnings…now its really time to make magic happen.

Stay tuned for the journey of a lifetime.

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