I don't know what's come over me lately, but I am finding myself doing so many things that I never would've done before.
First, there was the "friend request" thingy. I proactively sent a few instead re-actively responding to the ones that I receive. This was big for me because of the whole possible "rejection" thing, but I did it anyway and guess what...people have confirmed. Guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Then, there was the swimsuit/pool thingy. I hadn't worn a swimsuit nor been in a pool for longer than I could remember. On July 4th, that streak was over, and it felt GREAT!
Yesterday, I did another "new" thing. I WENT TO THE BEACH!!! Yep, I sure did! I mean really, it just doesn't make sense to live in Southern Cali, pretty much 20 minutes away from 4 different beaches, and NEVER go. What kinda sense does that make? ZERO!!!
There are people who dream of dipping their feet into the ocean, walking along the sandy shores, catching a wave. Yet they never get the chance. Me, I could do this EVERYDAY if I want, yet I haven't done it since I was a child. WHAT is wrong with me?!?
So yesterday I hopped in the car & headed west til I could see the ocean. There it was! Mind you, it wasn't the prettiest day for the beach. Kind of interesting because when I left my home the sky was blue and it was a beautiful day for the beach. But when I get to the beach, the sky is just a "blah" grey. Nothing "pretty" about it. That didn't stop me though. I had come this far and was NOT about to turn back.
So I parked the car, and trudged through the sand (broke a sweat just doing THAT), and kept it truckin'. Got to the wet sand and just stood there for a minute. WOW! I'm REALLY here.
I walked a little further in until the first wave rolled in and gave me that initial shock of cold. Brrr. After a few more rolled in I adjusted and just stood there letting wave after wave roll in.
Now if you're thinking that I'm out there in my swimsuit, think again. I haven't quite made it to that level of bravery...not yet. I had on a skirt that I quickly realized was waaay too long for the beach. See, the thing about waves is that they don't all roll in at the same level. You can be standing in the same spot and a wave can roll in and not even reach your feet. The next one, may come all the way up to your butt (as I very quickly and unexpectedly learned), and some, if you're not paying attention will go completely over you. Not all in that order, but that's how waves are. "Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
So there I am in my skirt, soaked, and having a ball. I wrote my name in the sand, even wrote the blog's name in the sand.
At one point my heart even raced a little when I spotted two fins sticking out of the water. Uh oh! What the???
Turns out that the fins belonged to two dolphins swimming by. Jumping in and out of the water, just minding their own business, doing what dolphins do. So cool!
I collected a nice little assortment of seashells, and headed home, with a smile on my face all the way.
So as I said at the beginning, I really don't know what's come over me but it feels so great. I've really felt the desire to LIVE lately. My birthday is coming up this Thursday, and I realize that I haven't REALLY lived. I've just been "existing". Well those days of "existing" are over for me. My life is changing and I'm finding that life is GOOD.
Let the DIALOGUE begin! Are you LIVING or just existing? And when was the last time you went to the beach?
Talk to me!
Til next time...
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I'm definately someone that LIVES. I wear it like a badge. I have even found that it RANKLES some people. I've fielded criticism from people who say I should "be more serious"...and "think about the future"...
ReplyDeleteIs that right? Should I have been socking money away into my 401K since my teenage years so I can have a nice comfortable retirement watching reality shows and look at my teeth smiling in a glass of bubbles? If I had taken that advice, my "savings" would be sitting at zero, at the expense of all the things I DID do with the money, which I shall never regret.
Enjoy this world with both arms while you are young, and excited about it, and ABLE. There's plenty of time to crap your trousers and scare kids with stories of the good old days when the time is right. Whenever I have looked at a point in the future and worred about it, it's never been as bad as I thought, once time brought me to that point. Enjoy.
p.s. I went to the beach 3 weeks ago. I'm still young and will be for a long time, so I'm saving the EXISTING for later, when the surf's not up.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I LOVE it! You know...the great thing about life is that WE EACH LIVE OUR OWN. So to those who are "RANKLED" by you living your life, I say...how sad. Maybe if they "lived a little" themselves, they'd see things a little differently and would realize that maybe...just maybe, they were missing something in their own lives. Something that LIVING could fulfill. I totally get that we should "think about the future", but that certainly does NOT mean that we are not to LIVE today. I know that this will sound cliche, but...what if tomorrow never comes? Think about all of the "todays" that would have been wasted. Funny that you should call me young. Chronologically, I don't think that would be an accurate definition. I'll be 43 on Thursday, yet I have NO IDEA what 43 is supposed to feel like. It sounds old, but I certainly don't FEEL old. And on most days, I don't LOOK old either. So if young is a state of mind, then you're right...I AM YOUNG, and I will definitely enjoy the world with both arms outstretched, ready to receive what is meant for me to have. And who knows...now that I've decided to make going to the beach a regular occurrence, maybe I'll see ya around. Thanks for stoppin' by, and thanks even more for your inspiring comment.
ReplyDeleteAny of our tomorrows MAY NOT come, that's a supposition. We live in a youth obsessed society, yet our culture is really fixated on the "end" of life. The banks send people into companies to talk twenty and thirty year olds into "retirement planning". That's really odd if you think about it. Sure, they have a sell line about how much money you'll have but REALLY they want to collect interest while your money sits in their bank. Why be fixated on retiring from life when you are young? They want you to buy your gravesite NOW, so it's ready for you when your time comes, are you KIDDING ME? A time comes to think about that, and it's not when you're 43. Now, at 43, kids will be saying that you're "old", but 70 years olds will call you "young". The 70 year olds will win the argument because they have seen more of life. Life is to LIVE and the rest seems to take care of itself...
ReplyDelete"Life is to LIVE and the rest seems to take care of itself..." EXACTLY! I was thinking about how many people would probably think that "LIVING life" is a "given", and would wonder what's so "profound" about that phrase, but I've seen too many people who have just kind of given up on life, so I KNOW that there is something to this. As I was reading your comment I thought about my 21 yr old daughter and how she would probably look at me sideways if I told her to start putting her money into a retirement fund. At 21, all she cares about is the next pair of shoes that she wants to buy. And at her age, that's completely natural and normal. You're right. To kids (especially my own), I'm "old". But to the "mothers" at the church who call me "baaaybee" when they see me, I'm still a "youngster". Guess it's all relative. Thanks for stopping by & sharing your comment.
ReplyDelete