"Breathless Moments" by Suzanne Cottrell
– a whale of a good time
Observing sea lions and puffins and breaching whales on Sitka Sound, all they could hear were gasps.
Suzanne Cottrell, a member of a local and an international writers’ group, and NC Writers’ Network, lives with her husband and two rescued dogs in rural Piedmont NC. An outdoor enthusiast and retired teacher, she enjoys reading, writing, knitting, hiking, and Pilates. Her creative nonfiction stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Quail Bell Magazine, Parks and Points, and Personal Story Publishing Project anthologies. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Gifts of the Seasons, Autumn and Winter and Spring and Summer. www.suzanneswords.com
Author’s Talk
Suzanne Cottrell
One of my favorite quotes is "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." In July 2001, my husband, daughter, and I vacationed in Alaska. On our very first day while driving to Denali National Park, we slowed to watch a huge moose cross the highway. In Denali, we had the good fortune to view the snow-covered summit, which clouds often obscure. We saw grizzlies lope across an Alpine meadow and Dall sheep balance on rocky ledges, uncommon wildlife sightings in central North Carolina.
Our trip combined inland travels with a southeastern inner passage cruise. While on the ship in Glacier Bay, we spent hours on the observation deck. We heard the cracks and booms of calving glaciers and saw harbor seals floating on ice slabs. When we arrived at Sitka, we opted to take a half day small boat excursion on Sitka Sound, hoping to see humpback and killer whales, as well as other wildlife. I will never forget the first time I saw a humpback whale breach. However, I did not write about the experience until May 2018 when I wrote a poem, "Captured Moment." The last stanza of the poem summed up my encounter, "One exhilarating moment in my mundane life that took my breath away."
I've dabbled at writing most of my life, but family, work, and social commitments consumed my time. I didn't begin submitting my writing for publication until I retired in 2015. My writing journey began after I took a memoir/journaling class at our local senior center. Nature and its sensory stimuli often inspire my writing of free verse poetry, personal narratives, and short fiction. To date, my writing has appeared in forty-five journals and anthologies. It's never too late to pursue new passions.
When submissions opened for the 2021 Personal Story Publishing Project's anthology with the theme of luck and opportunity, I jumped at the chance to write about my family's wildlife encounters in Sitka Sound. I am grateful that I was lucky enough to see a humpback whale breach in Alaskan waters and to share that experience in prose with others.
Notes: Many sources list the quote in my first sentence as anonymous. However, Vicki Corona may have used the quote first. "Tahitian Choreographies" by Vicki Corona, 1989, Vol. 11, Book 18, P. 36, Dance Fantasy Productions, Printed by Dennis Bolton
