I wanted “Something in the Water” to be an exploration of what we sacrifice in the struggle to get what we want in life. For some of the characters in the novel too much is lost along the way, and for others that loss is necessary.
What would you do to get the life you’d always dreamed of? I’m sure you’ve probably got a pretty clear idea of where you’d draw the line, right? But what if your circumstances changed, what if events had you up against the wall? And what if one simple choice could change your life forever?
There’s a very snappy, but impactful Brazilian story about a fisherman and a business man. It is a simple parable that reminds us to question the motives that drive us far from where we really want to be in life. And it goes something like this: A very rich and successful business man goes on holiday to a tropical paradise. One morning whilst walking along the warm pink sand, the cool waves lapping across his feet, the businessman comes across a fisherman hauling in his boat. The business man watches, fascinated as the fisherman unloads his catch of fish, and lies down on the beach to relax.
Impressed by the size of the fisherman’s haul the business man approaches him, “Did you catch all of those fish this morning?” he asks.
“…what if your circumstances changed. What if one choice could change your life forever?”
The fisherman sits up and smiles at the stranger, “Yes, it only takes me a few hours.”
The business man sits down in the sand beside him and decides to impart some of his years of investment knowledge. “Why not stay out longer then, if you don’t mind me asking? You could catch so many more fish? Just by doing a few more hours a day…you could double your catch.”
The fisherman shrugs. “But I have enough to feed my family already – and I always have a few left to sell at the market.”
The businessman chuckles and shakes his head. “But if you caught more fish then you could sell more at the market, you see?” he says.
“And what would I do then?” The fisherman asks.
“Well, then you could buy bigger nets and catch even more fish.”
“And what would I do then?” The fisherman asks, his forehead creasing.
“Well…” The businessman points to the man’s little sun-bleached boat. “You could buy a bigger boat to travel further out to sea and catch even bigger, pricier, fish.”
“And what would I do then?” The fisherman asks.
The business man puffs with pride and continues excitedly, “Well, then, you would buy a whole fleet of fishing boats! You could hire many other people to catch all your fish for you. You’d never need to work again. You’d be rich!”
The fisherman looks concerned. “And then what would I do?” he asks cautiously.
The business man pauses surprised by the question. “Ha. And then…and then you could retire and spend the rest of your days relaxing on a beautiful tropical beach.”
The fisherman takes in the well-meaning advice and smiles kindly as the business man finally realizes what he’s just said.
The fisherman pats the business man on the shoulder and lies back down on the warm sand.
