The Great Flood And The Albatross

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3 years ago

In most civilisations you will find a myth of a great flood that swept the Earth. Indeed you all know of how God grew tired of the disappointment of Man and made it rain for forty days and forty nights to cleanse the world of his taint. Well almost every culture has some apocalyptic tale to scare the populous into behaving. A cautionary tale that reminds them of what will happen when they don't tow the line. Yet on this occassion, the time had actually come, and this time there was no prior warning to anyone. Neither man nor beast would survive this almighty deluge without some sort of help. And it rained, it rained A LOT.

At first the poor made temporary barges and reached the highest points on Earth. But as even they weren't good enough they pleaded to join the several sailing ships and submarines that took to the waters. Even they weren't safe, for they could not take everyone and the seas were rife with debris. Many a ship was torn apart and many a soul drowned in the relentless rising waters and fierce tides. Some aquatic mammals tried to ride the storms, especially the salt water ones. But the sea was now tainted, a mix of fresh and salt water and the imbalance was affecting everything. Trees were uprooted, coastal lines and mountains became submerged. Weather patterns altered and it seemed the whole world was in chaos and our planet looked doomed.

By the time it was over there was no immediate receding of the oceans. The whole globe was covered completely in one endless sea, an Ocean of Despair they called it. For planes had crashed unable to find a landing strip or to refuel. Animals had drowned because nobody thought to save the different species. They didn't think they may need them in the future, and they completely forgot about the insects. Without them, even if the world did resume to reset mode, how could things ever get back to a healthy balance? And in those days where the weather returned to normal, people who lived lamented the losses. They grieved for a world they helped to destroy. Some felt shame for the destruction and the huge loss of life, others felt relief for being one of the saved, and yet others were planning the next steps.

It was a sad stain on humanity that those left were spread about on various seagoing vessels. Rather than aid each other when distress messages about shortages of food started going out, they instead talked about boundaries and territories. They spoke in terms of international waters or those of previously designated areas. They were willing to defend their stance and thus further annihilate what was left of their species. It was a global concern, that if the waters didn't recede how could they gather enough from the seas to feed their expectations and needs? People grew scared and anxiety levels and tempers surged. There was a heightened level of danger sensed by all, but they still remained fragmented. Though they were now all in the same boat as it were, on the Ocean of Despair, they clung to their old ways and their stupid Laws and Rules. They would need to salvage what they could and try to prepare for what was to come.

Meanwhile, there was one feathered onlooker who watched with something akin to awe. He was a wandering albatross and he'd spent the first six of his years on the wing. He'd flown the mighty storms and unlike many of the birds had the strength to survive the ordeal. He had witnessed Man's destruction with curiosity, for he had never before seen them so easily destroyed. The Great Rains had come and the water levels had risen, but Man who'd made it to the peaks and summits of the highest points still perished. The albatross saw this as a great pity, because he himself could not help. Though he had a wingspan of eleven feet, the biggest of any bird, he could not even rescue one child. Even his mighty strength couldn't also bear the weight of another and if he took a baby then where could he land it? He could not fly forever with the child and this had broken his heart, so he had flown higher and further away so he could not see the destruction. But that sense of helplessness remained with him.

After the rains stopped the albatross found sanctuary on one of the many floating redwood trees that littered the endless ocean. It was enough that he could sleep and get his rest and regain his strength. After fishing and eating his fill he set off again to explore the surface of the water. He caught sight of many boats, ships and now smaller vessels emerging from the larger ones. All seemed to be haphazardly searching for things but he did not know what. He found the ways of Man perplexing to say the least. He assumed it was land they looked for. So he decided he would help them, much like his distant ancestor had done on the Ark for Noah. Perhaps he too could restore their hope. Of course then it had only been forty days and nights it had rained. This time he'd venture to say it had been in the hundreds, but he was committed nonetheless to doing this good deed for them.

It was a mammoth task and a long one. For though he could glide for hours without rest or a flap of his wings, he was lonely. He hoped on his journey to find another of his kind and settle down and start a family perhaps. For them the world wasn't as harsh a place as it had become for Man. This made him sad for them, and his compassion drove him onwards searching for dry land. From his high arial viewpoint he could see many things. Great pods of whales and dolphins enjoying the freedom of the vast waters. Massive schools of fish safe and joyous flying through the surf. Even the sharks seemed happy salvaging food from a now bountiful expanse of hunting grounds below sea level. But what he didn't see was land, and he flew and flew until he had almost lost hope.

When he did find land, far out over to the East, he knew his prayers had been answered. If there was land for Man there would surely be a love alive for him. After he had told them of his discovery he would then leave it to man to sort himself out and co-operate with his neighbours. Meanwhile he would go on hunting and find his mate. Now he had somewhere they could build a nest and start re-populating their numbers. So he searched for the nearest vessel many hundreds of miles away, ready to guide it back to dry land. Of course he had deliberated whilst on the wing as to how he could explain his intentions. That he was to be their guide and ultimately their salvation. His kinsman back in the old story had carried a twig of the olive to symbolises his find. So the albatross, being bigger, found a small branch with figs on it, and set off back towards mankind's vessels.

A submarine had surfaced recently and was the first thing the albatross spotted not more than two hundred miles away from the land mass he'd discovered. He landed on the hideous metal hide of the beast. His feet made a noise as he walked along the surface and he tap tapped on the skin of the submarine to attract it's attention. A hatch opened and the albatross saw Man emerge from the beast's blowhole. He walked up to the men to proffer his branch and tell them of his marvellous find. But instead of a joyous rapture he was met with hostility. A net like they used on their fishing boats was thrown over him so he couldn't fly away. "Good shot," said the sailor, "now we have dinner and it looks like it brought us some dessert." And without thinking they wrang the albatross' neck and went below with their prize. When the Captain asked them what direction the bird had come from and where it had obtained the branch from? the sailors looked a bit embarrassed. They hadn't seen, nor had they watched, they'd just acted impulsively. "Oh never mind, " replied the Captain at last. That was the least of his worries and at least he would eat well at his table tonight. It would make a pleasant change from fish and ship's dry biscuits. And he promptly gave orders to go straight ahead after submerging, guessing that was the direction the albatross had come from. Sadly he was wrong. And hours later a beautiful female albatross spotted the wake in the water that the shallowly submerged submarine was causing as it re-emerged to raise periscopes. She wasn't impressed, they were now several hundreds of miles away from anything.

So my friends we come to the end of our story. When looking at the answer to your dilemma, or searching for a miracle, we don't always listen - sadly we act rashly. It's a human failing that we don't see in others the compassion and meaning in what they are trying to tell us. Next time when someone stops to share something with you, take a moment before responding. Maybe what they can teach you, or wish to show you, is worth the time to listen and think about. Don't be too hasty to dismiss the answer when it's staring you in the face. Some brave and courageous souls do their utmost to teach us the error of our ways, give them the respect to hear them out. What you do after that is up to you, but save yourself the embarrassment of remaining ignorant - make an informed decision.

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