Fish Risk

We had a sad time in my family a couple of months ago.
So today I decided I would take my Mum for an outing.
We went to Deep Sea World, across the Forth Bridge.

It's a great place.
They have a 1 million gallon tank of sea water.
And on the bottom there is an acrylic-covered walkway.
One side of the walkway is motorised and gently carries you round.
The fish glide by, over and around the transparent walkway.

They have four Sand Tiger sharks reaching over 3m length.
There were many other rays and flatfish.
Mackerel, Sea Bass, Bream, Gurneys, and many other fish.
And Conger Eels inhabit the dark holes in the walls.

Up above, in the reception area, they have many other tanks.
Tropical fish, an Amazon River tank, Lake Malawi, even Piranhas.
They even have a Stone Fish, and poison arrow frogs.
Some of the most venomous animals in the world.

It's not a place for the faint-hearted.
It must be a rather risky place to work.

They feed the fish in the main tank by hand.
Albeit that the hand is covered in chain mail.
Otherwise the two divers wore standard wet suits.
No match for a hungry shark.

My friend Steve knows all about Risk.
He's made some rather bold moves careerwise over the years.
Lately he gave up his job as a data analyst to become a Risk Consultant.
Now that's a risky job!

Isn't it strange how sometimes we court the excitement and adventure of a risky hobby or holiday. And at other times we worry about a one in a million chance.

Someone I know took a big risk one time.
He lived in a right cushy number. No expense spared.
But one day he gave it all up to live a life of poverty and homelessness.
He and his friends travelled around from village to village.
They had to keep one step ahead of the authorities.
Hunted they were. Dangerous men, and women too.

They knew what 'risk' was alright.
Then one day he walked right into the lion's mouth.
His friends went with him to die too.

It's the greatest love you can have.
To lay down your life for your friends.
And he died - for his friends.
I'm his friend.
You can be too.

It's risky.
You get to go fishing.
And there's some big fish around.

But the risks are outweighed by the rewards.
The rewards are stunning, mind-blowing, everlasting.