The Sea of Loves

A writers observations of living near the beach seeing the surroundings with new eyes after years of living away from the shores community.

Sea of Loves

By Carol Crismond

 

 

Those who appreciate the healing that comes from the sea know that one hour standing at the shoreline cannot be replaced with any other remedy.

 

After making a commitment to change and self-discovery as far back as 1983, the five senses became vital in how I received every moment.  The sights, sounds, aroma, touch, and taste of the world around me had to be personified equal to a burst of rays in a magnificent sunrise.

 

In August of 2005 our family returned to the Jacksonville Florida area from the West Coast.  The words “you have to leave somewhere first to be able to return and appreciate it” is the focus of my experience.  We chose to live at the beach rather than reside in the Southside as we had for 20 years prior to our adventure west.  Almost immediately after moving in I was drawn to the shore.  The closeness to the ocean proved to be a daily routine turning the morning hours into something extraordinary.  Sunsets in the West are memorable; however, the morning sunrise of the East coast became an obsession.  The first view of the shore at sunrise was magnificent with the blazing sun rising out of the water with circular rays of reds and orange sprawled against the backdrop of the sea and blue sky.  Within a week, the ritual of meeting the rising sun as I power-walked became a necessity at 6:30 a.m.  The morning schedule was planned to include the programmable coffee pot brewing at 6:00 a.m., setting into motion a swift dressing, and grasping my necessary equipment.  A headset provides the rhythm of life in my step, a digital camera set on automatic to capture all moments I may be lucky enough to snap of the people, the ocean, and the sea life.

 

Seasons change as they do, and during these morning hours the familiarity of the same faces of people was welcoming, not to be misconstrued as acquaintances, but certainly we had a commonality of purpose in being out at early dawn.  All in search of the peace and calmness the visual experience brings to us.  Some walk alone, others are walking the dog, runners in groups chatting, sole runners.  Bikers appear on cruisers, residents on a leisurely walk, mother’s pushing the stroller while maintaining the running momentum, or visitors simply enjoying the breathtaking sight of the ocean from the water edge.  We all smile at each other briefly and continue on with our own routine.  Some do not participate in the friendly nod or gesture because this is their alone time to be respected and not intruded upon.

 

Joggers are present in all seasonal weather changes.  One particular September morning, the tide was out, and the fog was thick only, allowing about 25 feet to see the tip of the ocean.  I lifted the camera up, and in the distance two joggers came running through the mist dressed in shorts and tank tops and ignoring the conditions of drizzle and fog keeping the pace.

 

Every break of dawn during the month of August a lap swimmer appears coming up from Ponte Vedra to Atlantic Beach swimming against the tides.  I know that he came this far because I was parallel to him in my early morning run.  How strong and deliberate.  This swimmer is a warrior of the seas   During this month of August, I was never able to actually see his face, but only his stride as he lifted his arms strong and worked against the tides.  He has a goal.  In September he disappeared.  He may be a person from the north who indulges in the seas during that month’s visit, or a resident but, in any case, he is one of the people of the sea.

 

Snap---snap!  What brings a smile to my face without hesitation is walking across the dune and having a burse of visual experience that is unexpected �" a strong of splashing dolphins dancing, jumping, and playing in the white-capped waves.  The dolphins travel together not only feeding along the way.  They always have a very mapped out and distinct destination.  They travel moving in unison in smooth poetic movements, up and then down and sometimes descending into the deep no appearing again until it is time to re-surface.  How is it that their movement are in tune with the music in my ear?  This is affirmation.  Life is rhythmic and has a series of notes that p lay, matching our walk, stance, to fit our own particular and specific rhythm of life.

 

The ocean birds form perfect formations and fly close to the top of the sea.  The small sand lings run swiftly across the sand searching for their choice of edibles.  The Sea Turtle Patrol diligently protects the nests and blocks off the area with yellow tape to warn people of the presence of eggs.  To this day I have not been able to capture a sight of the large sea turtle leaving her nest and walking back into the sea.  Perhaps this year one early morning, I will have a sighting and capture the moment on camera.

 

What can be said about the surfers?  Is there any sight more exhilarating than watching a surfer riding a wave moving the board with absolute control, bouncing, bending and balancing to the rhythm of the cresting wave.  Every movement is symphonic with all of the element’s meeting to create the perfect ride.  What a rush.

 

The people who are drawn to the ocean edge are always diverse.  One morning the beach was unusually empty even for the light of dawn.  A woman possibly 25 years old was standing at the shore with her feet in the water feeling the warmth of the August temperatures.  When I looked closer, I saw that she had a scarf on her head but pulled back enough that I could see she had lost her hair.  She also appeared to be ill in her facial expressions, and darkness around her eyes.  Guessing that she was a chemotherapy /cancer patient I continued to walk, never intruding on the spiritual experience she was encountering.  Those of us who appreciate the healing that comes from the sea know that one hour standing at the shoreline cannot be replaced with any other remedy including medicinal matter, philosophic words, or therapeutic suggestion.  The sounds of crashing ocean waves, the sight of birds flying barely above the water surface, the sun in all its splendor is far more satisfying than a pill or other remedies.  At the very lease it can provide us with moments that relieve the realities of our life.

 

Several mornings in the Atlantic Beach area the same young women are present on mats sitting in a lotus position practicing meditation.  Being very successful at it they do not notice who is passing by or flying over.  I myself have never been able to concentrate my thoughts along enough to meditate without wandering feverishly through such inconsequential thoughts as ==what shall I make for dinner, meatloaf, or scampi.  I absolutely admire these women for their achievement.  What better place to meditate than on the floor of the entrance to the sea?

 

On a beautiful day in July the beaches are filled with all of us that are drawn to it.  Surfers, sun bathers, parasailers, sea kayakers’, runners, visitors from all parts of the world, local friends and family gather at the edge of the ocean to spend a very special day in this fabulous place.

 

On a foggy day in October the people have thinned out, but you still find the familiar faces committed to the experience.  We all have our reasons for being there, but in essence at the core of us is that we are all people of the sea and so very fortunate to reside her near the ocean’s entrance.  On the return to Jacksonville beaches area, I see with new eyes, listen for the sounds I did not realize I would miss so much, and watch for that special moment to film that, which will not return again, always anticipating and now so much more appreciative.  After all the business of re-invention is ongoing and lasts as long as the perseverance to the commitment to self-discovery is present within us.  Each morning when the sun rises it is met with a new appreciation of life and the people who pass through it at 6:30 a.m. at the entrance to the sea.

 

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy my story of my return to the east coast living near the ocean. Appreciating a place that is filled with nature, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and a sub-culture of beaches people that love the ocean.

Reviews

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I agree the ocean holds such a magnetizing fascination to us all. Like some ancient primal instinct that draws us towards her. As if we were all born of her and eventually our spirits will once again return home. I remember a few years back taking a drive down lover's lane in Monterey and getting out of the car for a little walk by the ocean. As I looked out into the early morning sky seeing all this endless deep blue off to the side I saw an adult female deer with its fawn. They stood there by the edge with white foam washing around their legs and the scent of seasalt heavy in the air. The image was so perfect it burned in my mind. And they walked right pass me as if I wasn't even there. As if there were an acknowledgement between all creatures that this was a hallowed sacred place. I will never forget that memory for as long as I live, because ever time I think about that moment it always tends to bring me peace. Thank you Carol for sharing your story with us.