If our world were a coral reef....

Every day I take a boat to work and settle down for an 8-10 hour working day sitting in the office working the finance, accounting and marketing aspects of a rock climbing shop my husband owns.

Because I live on an island, because I traverse the deep blue ocean seas day in and day out, because I live on a tropical island, and because I have way too much time on my hands....I wondered today what it would be like to describe our working environment, as it would be under the sea.

We operate our business in a world where perceptions deceive. Where we work, is a hot bed of politics and cut throat business....a coral reef if you would, full of creatures that are beautiful and deadly.

Imagine a coral reef, and all the beautiful colors. You've got brain corals, hammer corals, sea urchins, beautiful giant clams and schools of fish passing by constantly.  The tourists who weave in and between our shops every day are the schools of fish. Most tourists are calm, friendly and polite: parrot fish, they come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors. Parrot fish are an essential part of any coral reef, the munch here and there and deposit sand in exchange. They swim slowly, lingering here and there, and take little bites everywhere they turn. Parrot fish, we love them.

Some tourists are not so desired. Some tourists resemble this guy: yellow headed jawfish. Known for their big ugly mouths and for literally stirring up a mess everywhere they go, these guys also frequent our reefs unwelcome, but tolerated.

The reefs around us, to the front and left if you're drawing a map, well these reefs are full of holes and shadows. They're actually part of a larger coral reef system that spans an entire football field in length. They're the arm and leg extensions if you will, and they are expanding and choking out the smaller corals, like us, everyday. Like giant clams, they take up a lot of space and once they settle in, they stay there permanently.

In front of us, well they are a family of sharks. They live off of the giant clams' territory, produce nothing, but take large chunks out from the little fish like us every day. To my left is a little shop that produces a cacophony each night. This is where the cuttlefish dwell, fish who change their colors as their mood sets. One minute blue with sadness; but mostly green with envy, red with anger, black with vengeance,and purple in the face from jealousy. These cuttlefish are exceptionally loud and give me headaches every afternoon from their gossip.

Who are we? My husband and I are the small clown fish. My husband was the solo male clown fish for a long time, until I came along to stand by him. We live in a cocoon, an anemone that surrounds and stings us all day every day. The stinging is provoked by the clams, sharks and cuttlefish in our little make-believe world, but I choose to see it as a good sting. It keeps us focused and humble. We're very protective of our home, and on a good day we feast, and we feast well in spite of the efforts of those around us.

Well, looking back on what I've written so far...I now see that this is the strangest post I have every written. I have thought about this way too much, and while it's been a fun diversion relating my infuriating real life experiences to a fictional coral reef....I think I'll quit while I"m ahead.    

Cheers,
Stef