Heroes Not Zombies

I’m crossing the English Channel, or La Manche, tonight. Not on a sailing boat like one of these beauties but in a car ferry.

However, one of the things which strikes me about these boats and the car ferry is how many people are working together to set sail.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a roll on, roll off ferry, but boarding, sailing and disembarking are highly co-ordinated team events. The staff direct you to particular lanes marked out on the dockside then load up the boat so that the “garages” are both full and balanced, from side to side and front to back.

What this makes me think about is a teaching I once heard from Thich Naht Hanh where he took a piece of paper and told the stories of its origin, highlighting the importance of everything from the Sun and clouds to farmers, loggers and paper makers. It’s a beautiful teaching which demonstrates clearly just how interconnected we are.

In fact this kind of insight is taken to an even deeper level when we consider the interdependencies of species and environments. The complex ecosystems and food chains on which our very existence depends.

It shows us how limited it is to think in terms of separateness and individualism. None of us could live the lives we live without a myriad of others.

That stirs my feelings of gratitude and humility. It’s awe inspiring.