Somewhere in there it struck me that dips exemplify what we could be practicing with climate change. For surely, most of us cower from the seemingly enormous challenge of solving this complex situation we have gotten ourselves into over a long period of time. Instinctively, we try to protect ourselves from it. Similarly, we spent much of the trip in the cockpit out of the wind, protecting every inch of skin against a relentless piercing chill, waiting for it to go away. And the worse it gets, the stronger our instinct to avoid the inevitable confrontation. Yet what we need to do is to stop delaying, turn and face it, and dive headfirst into the heart of what we fear—kiss our monster on the nose, as a friend of mine says. Only then can we discover the exhilaration and joy that awaits us on the other side. Life on the other side of the plunge is actually better than the shivering dread beforehand. Going through this routine every day taught our bodies to do it. The challenge is to habituate our minds in the same way. The seven of us are now back amongst you all, poised to take our experiences back into our worlds, and yours. We are a little more ready to take off all those protective layers and embrace what’s coming, trusting that when we all do it together, the good outcomes will be beyond what we could have imagined beforehand. If you see someone taking a leap of faith, or you are moved to take such a leap yourself (remember there is a community dip every 1st Friday at 5:00 p.m. at Burlington Bay), in body or mind, I promise you that what awaits you on the other side will be reward enough for the efforts, and just might leave you hungry for more.
