Salt and Beauty

I went to the beach today (Coquina Beach on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore), for the first time since Australia.  I listened to the waves, absorbed the sun, enjoyed the sensation of the sand shifting beneath me.  I could hardly concentrate on the book I need to read for work; I was too distracted by the feeling of peace.  The page goal I set for myself slowly fell away- 'I've got loads of time,' I thought, 'I may as well swim while I can.'

So I hopped in the water.  It was cool enough to be refreshing but not life-threatening cold.  Which is what I prefer- sorry New England, purple just isn't my natural lip color; it just doesn't suit me.

I waded in, slipped under a wave, and allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the feeling of connectedness inherent in ocean-play, in the way the world sounds under water.  I have done this same thing since I was a child.  There is something primitive about letting a wave crash over you.  I become part of the salty sea, it tightens its grip on me.  When salt water fills your ears you can actually hear the beating and beautiful pulse of the ocean swirling around you.  It is what perfection sounds like (fear not my non-beachy friends, the mountains are still my heart.  If I could slip beneath a mountain and listen to it as it crashed over me, I would.  But there are some logistical problems with that one- me and the mountain both being solids and all... and the fact that a mountain falling down on top of me would probably have some negative results... like death).

There are literally too many ways to describe the duality of peace and power inherent in the sea.  Lucky for me I have an entire season here to think about it.  That is, when I'm not thinking about the sign changes (clearly meant to inspire deep psycho-spiritual self-debate (flagellation?)) from the Jesus Christ University- because apparently the fun just doesn't stop there.

For you folks playing the home game:

Last week let us know that "God wants full custody, not just weekend visits."  Pat's favorite so far.

This Week: "Judgment day is near, settle out of court with Jesus."  This one took me a minute or two.  Until I realised that they didn't mean "church" when they said "court"- they literally meant Gods Almighty Court of Judgment Day Where the Big Screen of Your Life and Plentiful Sinning Plays for ALL TO SEE- or "Rapture, Inc." as I like to think of it.

Cheers, friends.
Come see me if you get the chances- milkshakes, mosquitoes, and supernatural warnings await you!