What Links Lionfish and Boarding School?
Susan Brown | Scottish Blethers
Haven in Bermuda
Image | Susan Brown
What links lionfish and boarding school? Community of course!
Human beings are social characters that need interaction to stimulate emotions, to energize thought processes, to bring experiences to life; and boy, have I loved the various communities I have been part of across the world!
I was fortunate to go to boarding school as a child, and sense of community was key to developing who we were as individuals and how we interacted with others. My parents always said that the most important thing that boarding school gave us was independence and confidence, which came from the people that we grew up with.
Over the years, I lost touch with most of the people I met and had intense friendships with at school. This was due to us being scattered to the wind as we made our way through college, university, and out into the wider world to live our lives, finding our personal life paths. It is interesting to note that as I get older, I am migrating back to those people who were so important in my life over 25 years ago. In many cases, we have picked up those friendships again as if there had not been so many intervening years. We look forward to catch-ups in person (which were so rudely interrupted by Covid).
Could it be that that sense of community, shared experiences and shared values were becoming more important for us as we now had a good idea of who we were?
For me, reconnecting with those I met at school has been an unexpected but lovely experience: old friendships renewed and a sense of looking out for each other as life takes its good and bad turns.
One major benefit of this reconnection has been (re-)meeting a great friend. He snuck up on me when I was least expecting it and has become my life partner—albeit one who lives in Bermuda, which is not exactly handy when I live in Scotland! This too has brought new benefits of community as I learnt how to fit in with his family, friends and island living for several months per year.
Susan in Bermuda with her partner, Captain Haddock
Image | Susan Brown
Some call island living a pressure cooker where everyone knows your business before you do, but what Bermuda showed and continues to show me is a bit of old world charm and life sense. It is a place where saying “good morning” is commonplace, and if you don’t reciprocate, leaves an impression that you are a rude person.
I really enjoy and appreciate my time in Bermuda, especially as I have become a small part of a conservation community who hunt (and eat) invasive lionfish. Without this community of dedicated individual, who free dive and scuba dive all year round (when the water temperatures can get below 60F), the lionfish population would explode, to the severe detriment of the local fish who are the food of choice of this invasive and potentially prolific species. Lionfish have no predators to keep their numbers in check. The group chat, photos and celebration of the achievements of this community is something which makes me feel at home and accepted in Bermuda, even given my very small contribution to it.
It is said that travel broadens your horizons, and I am grateful for all the experiences I have had of living, working and travelling abroad, of becoming part of so many different communities. It helps me more deeply appreciate the communities I have in my Scottish homeland and inspires me to be a beacon of community for those come to visit my country. I can’t wait to get back to travelling again, and I look forward to building the community of people who discover a love of Scotland when they tour with me.
