Summary

The author recounts their childhood fear of water that stemmed from a spirit board game experience, which has since faded into an obscure memory as they grew to appreciate the therapeutic wonders of the sea.

Abstract

The author shares a personal narrative about how their fear of water originated from a spirit of the glass game played during a thunderstorm at age ten. Despite being initially frightened by the game's prediction of their death at sea, the author has since overcome this fear, acknowledging the calming and rejuvenating effects of the sea on their life. The article reflects on the author's journey from fear to appreciation, highlighting the transformative power of nature and the joy of beach holidays. The author also references other works that celebrate the wonders of nature, emphasizing the importance of embracing the natural world.

Opinions

The author initially believed the spirit board game to be harmless but was later disturbed by its prediction.
Noreen's explanation about "naughty" spirits in the game did not fully alleviate the author's fear.
The author's fear of water was significant enough to prevent them from learning how to swim.
Despite the lingering unease, the author has a profound appreciation for the sea's energy and the peace it brings.
The author values the sea as a source of inspiration and rejuvenation, particularly during early morning walks by the beach.
The author questions why bitter melon has not been recognized as a super fruit, showing an interest in the health benefits of natural foods.
The article suggests that the author has a deep connection with nature, as evidenced by their various references to its wonders and personal experiences with the sea.

WONDERS OF NATURE

My Fear Of Water Was Caused By A ‘Naughty’ Spirit

To be ‘told’ by a purported spirit in the glass when and how I would die, it did not feel like a game to 10-year-old me

Travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler announced in 2021 that White Beach in Boracay, Philippines (shown above) was voted 2nd best island beaches in the world. (Photo credit to the author)

My fear of big bodies of water could be traced to a game. I was about 10 years old at the time. There was a power cut, but it looked more like a blackout. The thick darkness felt suffocating.

A thunderstorm was also raging. Thunders crashed, and lightning flashed. With each roar and crack zipping across the dark sky, the four-foot-tall frosted glass windows seemed to want to erupt in a million pieces.

It was frightening.

Apparently not scary, however, for *Noreen (*not her real name), a boarder in my grandfather’s house, and her friends who happened to be visiting. They were all students at a nearby university.

While waiting for the electricity to be restored, the four decided to play the spirit of the glass. I asked if I could join. Noreen refused.

“It’s not a game for kids,” she said, “you might get frightened.”

At my age, I wasn’t afraid of any game. Noreen and her friends did not have a choice. I insisted. I was in. Like a cat, I was curious about anything I was not familiar with.

Noreen started to explain how to play the game.

We would call a spirit, and the spirit would guide the upturned glass to the letters and numbers on the board. Each of the players (we were five) would lightly touch with a finger the bottom rim of the glass.

I became even more curious. How could we trap a spirit of the dead into the upside-down glass? And how would the spirit know the answer?

But it was only a game, I thought.

And so, it went on.

I did not mind the flame of the sole candle lighting the room. The flame danced and danced, even when all windows were closed. With each sway of the flame, tall shadows also swayed around us.

The eerie ambience did not scare me. I was with four girls, older than me by at least eight years.

When it was my turn to call the spirit, I called on my grandmother without hesitation. I was her first grandchild; she died when I was 18 months old.

I asked — silly me, really — when I would die.

Noreen and her friends acted as one, in shock. Talking over each other, they said I could not ask such questions.

However, the glass moved very quickly. I thought they all went pale.

I would die at the age of 48 — according to the spirit in the glass.

And — because I asked how I would die, despite my co-players’ qualms — that I would die at sea, in the waters.

Noreen quickly righted the upturned glass. She appeared perturbed. She said to me that at times, naughty spirits enter the glass and not the actual spirit that were called upon to join the game.

Despite the explanation, the fear of the waters resided in me deeply.

I’m well past 48 now. Alive, breathing, and able to write about my experiences including the wacky ones.

The naughty spirit’s prank on when I would pass away (or could it be Noreen and her friends’ doing?) did not dwell in me for long. I was much too busy living and meeting deadlines.

However, my fear of the bodies of water, though faint, seemed to cling. I did not learn how to swim, for fear of the waters.

And the few times I had to take a ferry or a ship, the unease was still there, deep down.

But the wonders of the sea have, for so long, gifted me with indescribable blessings. Not just once, but many times over that I’ve lost count of them.

Walking barefoot on the beach with the saltwater lapping on my feet, or even just facing the horizon by the sea — the incredible energy I gained from it each time was immeasurable.

When on a much-needed break from work, a beach holiday was an elixir. I’d get up early and walk towards the beach.

The best time for me was when the rising sun had just started to peek on the horizon, when the sea is relatively calm, and when most of the other holidaymakers were still asleep in their hotel rooms or beach bungalows.

Communing with the vast expanse of water, eyes closed, the sound of the sea reverberating like a sense-surround audio, arms wide open in accepting nature’s abundance — it is a feeling like no other.

As long as I do not meander towards the sea, even if the foreshore is shallow before the beach barrier, I am fine.

My fear of the water, a result of a prank by a “naughty” spirit, is now just an obscure memory.

This story is inspired by Dr. Preeti Singh’s Come And Enjoy The Seaside With Me through the nature prompt, wonders of the sea.

And speaking of the wonders of nature, Elvie Lins’s Magnificent Montserrat & Smallest Country in Europe: Andorra will bring to you, via the travel video clip included in her article, the natural beauty of both countries.

Pene Hodge’s Incredible Benefits of Bitter Melon: It’s Much More Than A Strange Looking Fruit makes me wonder why this fruit has not been categorized as a super fruit.

Overlooking from Oliver’s Mount is the resort town of Scarborough with the North Sea coastline in the far background.