Have you ever been in a shipwreck? Have you ever been surrounded by sharks in the middle of the ocean? Have you ever been stranded in the middle of the ocean on a small lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger? Probably not! But neither have I and I don’t plan on it. But when it comes to survival, whether it is in the middle of the ocean or in the rain forest or in the Rocky Mountains, it can happen to anyone at any time. In the novel, Life of Pi, Pi probably would have never even imagined that he would be stuck in a boat with a tiger or find himself ashore a cannibalistic island in the middle of nowhere.
In the Life of Pi, Pi struggled to survive with all the obstacles he faced, whether it was fighting sharks or tigers, it is hard to find a personal connection between Pi and I, because first off, I’ve never been in the ocean or fought tigers. I’m willing to bet that none of you have been in a situation like this and if you have, I solute you because I really could not imagine the struggle of knowing that you could lose your life at any moment. But there is one connection or similar situation that Pi went through, and that is Salvador Alvarenga. Now for any of you who do not know, Salvador Alvarenga is a real life castaway, who was lost at sea for 438 days in a 25-foot fishing boat without a sail or motor. For me a the normal human being that I am, I feel for him because that would suck, whether Salvador was fighting sharks or dealing with harsh weather.
The whole point of this letter is just to show and inform anyone that survival is a big issue and it’s a scary thing to go through. You may feel like you would just rather die and call it life, but when you get to that point, if at all, just remember the story of Salvador Alvarenga and think about what he went through. He could have easily just called it life and gave up, but no, He kept fighting, whether it was for his friends and family, or just his life. Also think about the, Life of Pi, I mean really, a 16 year old boy fighting a tiger and dealing with sharks and trying anything to find food to fill his empty stomach. All these people that I have told you about are normal people just like me and you, these things can happen to us, but we just have to remember that there is a purpose for fighting back, whether it friends, family, or its just for your life.
The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
