This week reading was interesting and something that I was fond over because it showed the variety of ways in which the ocean/sea is used. Not in just a personal way, but to learn history, in other fields of study, also in literature and arts. There were several points that were made that had caught my attention but one that resonated the most would have to be in the last paragraph. “The manner in which this occurred and the significance it holds for modern culture and society is only just beginning to dawn on us.”. I thought the word “beginning” was impactful as it is implying that we do not know as much as we think we do, there is still millions and probably billions of things we don’t know about the ocean, but the curiosity of humans has caused this start to learn all those little bits of information that make up the ocean. I also believe the word “beginning” is being used to show the shift in which society has taken to the view they have of the ocean; we went from being fearful and almost terrified of the unknown water, to now finding a comfort of the ocean even just by viewing it from a distance.

Another point that stood out to me was, “people began to come back to the sea in search for a quality they felt to be missing in the new industrial environment, that something called wilderness.” (paragraph 10). Speaking from a personal perspective, I never truly saw the ocean as wilderness or nature since it has always just been classified as a separate but special place in my mind. When I think of nature, I automatically start to imagine the forest with trees, wild animals, in almost isolated places to be nature as it provides a reflection area for humans to reconnect to themselves. Being able to reflect and read that the ocean provides the same feelings and purpose as a forest does, in my head does classify it as nature. It is a space that provides us with more than what we need to be able to regain our own self-identity back when our day to day lives are drowning us and not allowing a simple break.

Overall, I do believe that our attitude change towards the ocean is what has caused us to be able to create career fields in subjects like marine biology, led to the knowledge of what we have now of the ocean, given us more opportunities to study the ocean further, gives us what we need for everyday living like food, but also are a significant factor of the personal comfort we gain that does not compare to other forms of comfort. There is more to thank the ocean for than we realize as it has always been a home for many in the times that we longed somewhere we felt like we belonged.