One of my childhood heroes is Rachel Carson. I remember once when I was around ten years old, my mother and I were in the book section of a department store, and as she looked at books, I found a copy of Rachel Carson’s “The Sea Around Us.” I sat down and started to read it. She had me on the first page. What a wondrous world it opened up for me!
Much to my surprise and uncontainable joy, my mother bought it for me. It was the hard copy edition and relatively expensive, but my mom bought it, and I couldn’t wait to get home and read it from cover to cover.
It had a profound and lasting effect on me. After reading it, I decided I wanted to become a marine biologist.
Rachael Carson, herself, was a marine biologist. She worked at the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, which later turned into the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But her writings are what she is particularly known for.
She published three books on the sea; “Under the Sea-Wind,” “The Sea Around Us,” which became a bestseller and won a national book award, and “The Edge of the Sea.” These books not only help to increase our understanding of oceans but also instill love and appreciation for them. They helped cement my love of the ocean and the world around us. So much so, as I said, it was due to her books that I decided to become a biologist to learn as much as I could about our incredible planet and all the life on it.
I shall remain grateful to my mother and Rachel Carson for turning a simple shopping trip into a life-changing event for me. Thank you both for opening that door.
“If a child is to keep alive his (her) inborn sense of wonder, he (she) needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him (her) the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” — Rachel Carson.