Conquering Vertigo

Why did you come ashore?

There was a seal on the beach today.
A tawny tan and brown seal barking a little, sitting up and moving around a little, but mostly just lying in the sand.

A young man nearby was cautioning other beachcombers not to bother the seal. He is a volunteer with a wildlife rescue group, and today was one of his on-call days. A call had come in earlier in the morning, he had the day off from work, and so he came down to the beach with a blanket, some water and a cell phone, ready to spend all day with the seal.

The vets specializing in marine animals had been called, but they were off rescuing someone else, and so this guy was sitting with seal until help could come.

I confessed to him my knee-jerk desire to "help" by picking up the seal and carrying it out into the water. He explained all the reasons I shouldn't do that. And I knew most of them already, but still the desire to "help" remained. I didn't, though, and the young man made sure no one else did, either.

I couldn't take the seal's picture. I wondered about his dignity, and would he feel taken advantage of, if I photographed him while he was in a vulnerable state. I realize I am anthropomorphizing him, but in my head he is a person, too. And I didn't want to take away his personhood somehow.

Richard says that's why he came ashore, a saucy seal looking for female photographers, eager to snap a shot. That's why you came ashore, I reminded the sailor. He smiled.

But I wonder about the seal. Later in the day he was gone, and his friend was gone too. I pray someone sits with me, the next time I come ashore, and can't quite get back to where I'm supposed to be.

posted by Woman In Love @ 10:16 PM