Swimming with the Sharks in Florida
Created by: Lorie Jones
My daughter recently graduated from high school. She decided to celebrate this achievement by taking herself and three of her best friends to Florida, and I was invited along as the chaperone.
This is a gig you want—trust me on this one. They planned their own menus, cooked food for themselves and me (mostly pizza and ramen), and delivered it to my door. I sat by the pool, sipping icy concoctions filled with chocolate or coconut, and waited to be called upon in case of an emergency. I did get invited to a few of the activities, and one of them was “swimming with the sharks.” Okay—I’ll admit it was actually called snorkeling, and they were nurse sharks that couldn’t open their mouths wide enough to bite me (trust me, I asked), but my version sounds way more exciting and adventurous.
There is only one very tiny problem with me and snorkeling—putting my head underwater terrifies me. I’m scared water will get into my snorkel tube, or salt will get in my eyes, and I literally hyperventilate whenever I try submerging my face. “Lorie,” you are asking yourself, “why the heck do you keep going snorkeling then?” Well, I have one trick that always works: I hold someone’s hand, and I can put my face under the water. If I just know someone is there watching out for me, I can do it.
This reminds me so much of finance. It is scary, daunting, and sometimes you feel like you are swimming with the sharks. If you can just find someone you trust to “hold your hand” financially so you can dunk your head under the surface, what you experience is amazing. Beautiful, colorful fish and aquatic life—or realizing your dreams because you were a little brave and took that chance on investing.
I can be that person who is there holding your hand while you bravely try to see the magic out there below the surface. Imagine the world you miss out on by not taking that first step.
