Midnight Moonlit Fisherman

Last night, at midnight, Che took me out with him on his boat, to check his nets, and bring in the few fish that were there. Che is a beautiful man, a fisherman who lives a life of voluntary simplicity. He is the only fisherman on the island who doesn`t use a motor. He has two hand-made oars and a little dingy that he uses to drop his nets or troll his lines. He lives by the moon, that pulls the ocean and stirs her directions. And when the sun comes up, he`ll take his fish to market, then come home to bed.

Che has a hut right beside the beach where he leaves his boat. It is a simple house that Chabela helped him to build from glass bottles and cob, with palm fronds to make the palapa roof. He uses candles to light it, a hammock to sleep in, and an earth oven to cook with. He is proud of his small, rustic home by sea.

Of course, he also has a house in the village where his wife and two daughters stay, where they have electricity, and television, and the usual conviences of a typical home. But when he wants to be with the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean, this small house is his paradise.

Che loves to appreciate life. He loves nature. He loves beauty. He loves good food. Here on the island, he can enjoy a simple and easy life that few people would appreciate. For him, this is enough.

He pulled in sardines, mackerel, crabs, barracuda, and some fish that I didn`t know. We tossed back a couple of flying fish, a long pointy fish with a spear for a mouth, and a sting ray! There aren`t as many fish as there used to be. A few kilos a day is what he gets by on now. But with no fuel expenses or motor repairs, he has nothing to pay to keep his little operation going.

To live like this is a choice. He could buy a motor. He could go to work on one of the big fishing boats. But what Che understands is that the quality of life he seeks comes from his daily interactions with the world, not from having money, or things. Just like the old man who rides a horse and carriage through the village, singing old Mexican songs, and telling tourists about this little place. Life is simple. To appreciate this simplicity is a gift.

Meeting Che has been a gift. I am so grateful for this big man who lives a simple life. I am grateful for how welcoming and kind he has been to me. I am grateful for his spark of life and the twinkle in his eye. I am grateful for our moonlit boatride.