Life's a Beach!!!

I took a trip back in July to the North Carolina coast. One that I honestly did not think I would have ever taken since I am not a huge fan of the sun, heat, humidity or sand in my shorts!!

Found that I honestly enjoyed this rather brief trip to the ocean. Now do not get me wrong, I love the ocean and the sound of the waves. Love watching the seagulls glide on the wind currents and looking out on the horizon wondering what lies at the other end.

I find peace and solitude in the sea. Maybe I share some deep relation with old sailors. Maybe, if I had been a sailor, I would have spent the first part of my 3 hour tour bent over the bow. Not enjoying the view of the dolphins as they swam in the wake of the boat. But throwing my guts up!!! Yea be my luck I would end up seasick as hell!!

But one thing that captured my attention was the tide. Like snowflakes, no two waves are the same. They are larger, smaller, more fiercer or less than the previous one. But they always continue, never stopping!

I think its like life, always continuing and always changing, no two days are ever the same. Each day brings with it things that are different than the previous day. As with a job, we may seem to be in a rut, same ole same ole every day the same routine, but in truth, each day is different!

One new thing I saw on this trip, as I took a walk down the pier, and for those of you who do not like me,,this walk wasn't a long one off a short pier! I happened to stop to look off the side and in the ocean I saw a school of stingrays. That was an awesome thing to see! I have never seen these creatures in their natural habitat.

As I enjoyed watching these animals, I soon watched them scatter as a 9 foot reef shark came swimming by!

As with life, there are those rare times that, we can enjoy a leisurely swim. Taking each day in stride and comfort until the enemy comes swimming by. It is then that we are aware of our own mortality and how the comfort zone we have erected around us can become "uncomfortable". But, just as with the stingrays, we regroup and resume our normality once the trouble or danger has passed by. Enjoying what life has to offer.

Recently, well maybe not that recently, I went back to work in the coal industry. Not a glamorous job by any means but one I never thought I would ever do again after eleven years of retirement from it due to an injury.

Once I started underground that first day, I noticed how the sights, sounds, smells and general familiarity of what the coal mine once was came flooding rapidly back to my mind.

I was once again in familiar waters, facing the dangers I had long since forgotten about. Knowing at any given moment, my life could be taken from me. But life is like a beach! Roll with the tide and ebb and flow of the current. I had made a change and needed to understand the change I made in my life. So far, so good!

I have heard the old expression, "Life's a Beach!" never fully understanding the meaning behind it. I suppose the beach can be used as a metaphor to describe life. As my rare trips to the coast has shown me. Most people head to the water to swim or lie in the sun. Most find the sights and shops a wonderful place to spend a vacation. Not me!! I see the ocean in a way that few see it. I look at this magnificent creation of God and wonder, allowing my mind to imagine, to drift away.

Life's a Beach, never knowing how it is formed, why it is the way it is or how it will be after so many storms. But always being a beach afterward. Regardless of how hard it get's or how hot it may seem. The beach will always be the beach. Perfect creation and full of many mysteries! To be cherished and enjoyed each and every day. Never knowing what the tide may wash in or take away. But always be enjoyed and loved.

"Life's a Beach"!!! Enjoy it, accept its storms and random heat waves that test and try us! Enjoy it and always look for the beauty that lies deep with-in its foaming edges. Although your life may get eroded and become uncertain, it still remains a beautiful experience! Cherish it, learn and grow!

"Life's A Beach"