First, we walk down a rickety walkway over twenty feet of water and hope we don't fall in, or else the trainers will get mad at us. One one side is the dark, murky channel in which there is nothing but carcasses of fish and algae. On the other side is bright clear water full of squeaking dolphins and pretty rainbow fish welcoming us to the key. If we fall in with the dolphins, the trainers will yell at us and pull us out with a hook and lecture us. If we fall in the other side, they tell us to swim all the way around to shore through the creepy water.
You may think that it't not too difficult to strut down the simple walkway about fifty feet to get on a platform. Not so. The walkway tends to shake. A whole fucking lot. I have to shuffle my way down it, terrorized that I will fall into the dark evil water or be scolded by trainers.
My first ten feet or so are always fine. The sun is shining, the water is calm, and I am confidant.
My stride is confidant as I march bravely toward the platform. However, after a while, the walkway starts to sway from side to side because of all the people walking on it.
I become uneasy as I discover that arriving at the platform without a mishap is unlikely. Eventually, I am forced to decide which side is a better option for falling into, as I discover that it is inevitable that I will lose my balance.
However, I somehow manage to overcome my paralyzing fear of falling and shuffle my way to the platform without mishap.
I sit shakily on the walkway above the platform. After a few minutes of recuperation, I am able to focus on what the trainer is teaching us about hand signals for the dolphins. One by one we get to go up and command the dolphin to do a trick. It is finally my turn. I had been mulling over which trick to make my dolphin do as the trainer had talked, and after much thought, I picked my trick. Whether or not it would work, I wasn't sure, but I wanted to try.
"What are you going to ask the dolphin to do?" asks the trainer.
I immediately say, "Tailwalk," confident and sure of my decision.
I step down onto the platform and walk up to the edge. I raise my hands to the "Pay Attention" position and the dolphin sits up in the water, showing me he is ready.
His clicks and whistles let me know he will be fully obedient. It is time.
By god. The dolphin did it. I did it. That's when I knew, without a doubt. I was a Jedi Knight. I had mastered the force. With the solemn knowledge of the responsibilities I had just taken on myself, I calmly accepted my title of Jedi.
