Shamu
By Jason Glaze
Every year my parents treat us to a vacation. Normally we wait until the kids are out of school for the summer and go to the beach, but in 2008 we decided to change things up a bit and go to Orlando for spring break.
It was day one of our vacation and Sea World was on the agenda. We arrived at the park early to avoid the long line at the gates. When we got inside the park we asked the kids what they wanted to see first and their answer was unanimous, Shamu! So we found out when the first show was and hurried to get good seats.
As we settled into our seats I could see the excitement building in my kids. As the whales began to come out the constant question from the kids was, “Is that one Shamu? Is that one Shamu?” They were impressed with all the younger whales and their performances but they were not going to be satisfied until they saw Shamu herself.
Finally it was time. The dramatic music began to build as this enormous black object slowly glided around the bottom of the deep pool. I was sitting in the row behind Kim and the kids hoping to catch some good video footage of my kids reaction as Shamu came up out of the water. Shamu came racing to the surface. My kids were on the edge of their seats and as she exploded up out of the water everyone erupted in a loud cheer. That is everyone except my youngest son Will.
Will was sitting in Kim’s lap and when he got a good look at Shamu he immediately wrapped his arms around Kim’s neck, laid his head on her shoulder and began to cry. At first I was confused. I thought perhaps the sheer size of Shamu had startled Will and he was scared. However the more I looked at Will’s face the more I could see that Will was not scared, Will was sad. So I got Kim’s attention and asked her what was wrong and she whispered, Shamu’s fin.
When a Killer Whale is taken out of it’s natural environment, over time it’s dorsal fin begins to flop over to one side instead of standing straight up. Some people say this happens because whales in captivity spend so much time at the surface that there is not enough water to hold the fin up, others say it has something to do with the change in the whale’s diet. While there are many opinions on why a whale’s fin flops the only opinion that mattered to me was Will’s, and in his heart Shamu’s fin was flopped over because she was being held captive and she was sad. It broke my heart to see my six year old boy hurting like that, however, I was also very proud of him.
We can look in someone’s eyes and see pain, and if we look in the mirror long enough, we may see our own pain. Find a mirror and look into your own eyes until you see your soul and ask yourself, Has my fin flopped? Am I being held captive by pain, pride, or addiction? If so please know that there are people in this world with hearts like Will’s, people who will not judge you rather with a compassionate heart help you encounter the One who can set you free from what hold’s you captive. You are not alone.
Peace,
Jason
This was a great story. I have heard the same thing about the fin. I find it hard to watch any of the Free Willy movies. I agree with Will…..she was sad.
Thanks for your comments Kim!