Youth and the Sea (Humanity / Life / The Old Man and the Sea)

"Aren't you drinking with friends? Why are you back?"

"Originally yes... Who would have thought that someone invited that annoying old man and made me not in the mood to drink, so I would leave early for an excuse."

"You're talking about the old man who caught the giant marlin?"

"It's not him! Every day bragging about how good he is! Oh! It's nasty! And... only God knows if he actually caught a giant marlin, or happened to pick up a giant fish bone in the shoal!"

"You don't believe him?"

"you believe?"

"I believe. The sea is unpredictable, and there are always unexpected novelties."

"Having said that, I just can't believe that a skinny old man can defeat the sharks and drag the giant fish back to shore by himself, not to mention that he uses only traditional hand rowing and harpoons, knives, paddles, etc. Simple tool! It's not logical at all."

"Logic is indeed important, but 'belief' is more important. There are always things in life that can't be explained. If you insist on finding answers, you will only suffer yourself. It is better to put aside your reason and appreciate the inspirational stories."

"You got the point! Do you know why I don't like that story? It's because the old man insisted on telling the tragic experience of gaining and losing into an inspirational story!"

"It's not wrong for you to interpret the story from this angle. But wouldn't it be nice to add a little hope and a little meaning to your life?"

"That's self-deception."

"Don't say bad words, it will make you feel worse."

"Well, mother."

"Go and rest."

"Good night, mother."

"Good night, my child."

After hugging my mother, I wiped myself off in the bathroom, then went back to the bedroom and huddled under the covers. can not sleep. The more I wanted to let it go, the more I noticed that a lot of fragmented but irrelevant life fragments were dangling in my head, which was very annoying.

I no longer forced myself to fall asleep, staring at the endless darkness outside the window, unable to see the boundary between the sky and the sea. Perhaps the sky and the sea have quietly disappeared when I was not paying attention, and there is indeed only the darkness of the void left outside the window.

I suddenly recalled that when I passed by the pier earlier, a tourist asked me for directions. He came from a big inland city and came to visit after hearing about the capture of giant marlins. I looked at him carefully. He dresses well, speaks politely, and has bright eyes, but I don't like him - he says he envy me, a fisherman who lives by the sea, and thinks that my life must be free. After listening, I laughed without saying a word, and walked away without telling him where the old man lived.

Why do some people like the sea? Boundless, see no end, see no way out, see nothing that can be grasped at hand. He said freedom, I said meaningless. Casting a net out to sea, closing the net and sailing back. I exchange the life of fish, shrimp and crab for money, just as the ocean uses my life to write a small bridge in its vast story.

I am still so humble and small, even though I have exhausted my energy to live my life well.

Unhappy, unwilling, helpless.

Not many people in the world are lucky enough to catch a giant marlin or beat a shark swarm alone.

*****

The moon will set, the sun will rise, and I start a new day's work in this murky period.

My mother advised me not to go out to sea alone. I do not depend. There is always an unspeakable depression in my heart that needs to be expressed.

The waves swayed slightly, and the hull swayed in a regular rhythm, like a cradle. My consciousness is gradually blurring, even though I know it shouldn't be. I should go out to sea with more crew, I should keep an eye on the sea, I should... Actually I hate "should"...

The hull of the ship shook violently, and I woke up suddenly, and found that the stern was damaged, sea water poured into the cabin, and the ship was sinking. What happened? I didn't see anything.

I froze in place, with absolutely no intention of boarding the lifeboat - or did I have no intention of living at all? I don't know if I really want to die, but it's a wonderful way to end a dull life. I secretly rejoiced, enjoying the coldness of the sea, the suffocation brought by the water pressure, and the tranquility without personal consciousness...

"Fuck..." was my first sentence when I regained consciousness.

The doctor examined me and asked me if I remembered what happened to me.

"I landed on Mermaid Island." I glanced at the wall calendar and began to lie.

The doctor smiled and checked me out again for the head injury.

"I encountered a storm and the boat sank. The mermaid rescued me, led me to the island, and told me where the fruit and fresh water were. It took me two days to build a raft out of the giant plants on the island and leave Mermaid Island. When I parted, the mermaid Give me a pearl as a souvenir. Who would have expected me to encounter another storm on the way back..." I painted my voice and made a gesture.

The doctor began to listen carefully to me and asked me where the pearls were.

"In my trouser pocket... oh! I don't know if I lost it?" I vaguely remember that two weeks ago, I had picked up a small pearl on the rocky beach along the coast. I just left the pearl in my pants pocket and forgot to dispose of it. I'm not sure if it's still in the pocket, but it doesn't matter, I can say it was washed away by the sea.

The doctor turned and took a dull, rocky pearl from the drawer.

"Oh! It's it!" Of course I recognized the pearl, and it was because it wasn't pretty and had no monetary value that I forgot to dispose of it.

The doctors and nurses looked surprised and said that I had a miracle. The news spread thousands of miles, and a large number of media came to interview me, and even a well-known writer asked Ying to write about this adventure for me. I am happy to.

One night, I went to a bar to get drunk and met a lonely old man. He was no longer high-spirited and returned to his original haggard appearance.

I went up to greet him. He smiled knowingly and invited me to drink. Talking to each other, talking about women, about money, about the sea, but did not mention the giant marlin and mermaid island.

"The sea is unpredictable, and there are always unexpected novelties."

"It's the same with life."

"Yes! It's wonderful because there is no normality."

"And illogical."

"Hehe! Logic is indeed important, but 'belief' is more important. There are always things in life that can't be explained. If you insist on finding the answer, you will only suffer yourself. It's better to put aside your reason for the time being and enjoy the wonderful story."

"A great story adds hope and meaning to life. Wonderful!"