sol.ace_r

I first began imagining this story because I felt that all of us are, in a way, like whales forced to keep swimming endlessly. Moving in a prescribed direction, at a prescribed speed, desperately trying not to fall behind others. In the midst of that constant motion, I wondered whether we gradually grow exhausted and lose sight of what we truly want—whether we forget our own colors, our own voices.

In the story, the “restless sea” symbolizes the world we live in. It is a place filled with competition, noise, and the fear that stopping means being left behind. The exhaustion, helplessness, and loneliness the whale feels in this sea may be emotions that lie deep within our own hearts as well.

The “abyss” into which the whale sinks is a space of despair, but at the same time, an inner space where one comes face to face with oneself. In a place where it believes everything has been lost, the whale begins—however faintly—to realize the existence of its true self and its lost song. This lost song represents one’s own voice, values, and dreams that were forgotten while trying to live according to the standards of the world.

The whale’s decision, after returning from the abyss, to create its own current reflects the courage to seek one’s own path instead of being swept along by the world’s speed and direction. Listening to one’s inner voice without wavering, despite the gazes and indifference of other whales, is never easy. Yet through that difficult journey, the whale begins to notice the small beauties of the world and gradually reclaims the song it had lost.

In the end, the “song for oneself” that the whale sings is not meant to be shown to anyone else. It is a song spoken only to itself—a song that says it is okay not to be perfect, that who you are right now is already enough. When the whale realizes that the true self is not a flawless version from the past nor an ideal image of the future, but the self that is struggling through the journey right now, it finally finds genuine freedom and hope.

I hope this story offers a small measure of comfort and courage to those who feel they must keep moving without rest, and to those who wish to rediscover their lost song. I sincerely cheer for your journey—moving at your own pace, singing your own song, in your own way.