A day at the beach

Last week in San Francisco we experienced a week long heat wave. If I remember correctly, on average the tempeleratures reached 90 degrees. What this means, from what I experienced everyone or mostly everyone was outside, enjoying the weather while trying to duck away from the actual heat all at the same time.

Although my vehicle is regular one, nothing to show off, one  of the ways I enjoy relaxing is taking a cruise around the city. Music up, windows down. And on many occasions I stop off at the beach. I was planning to observe the scenery from the comforts of the drivers seat as I often do. but a little spontaniety took over and I decided to get out and go to the shore. The Idea was to stay for a minute or two, but I stayed for a couple hours. I am always fulfilled and fascinated by people watching, and it's always a pleasure to let go . Let my my mind wander and be care free while I am at it. To some extent, I think everyone I encountered that day was doing the same. 

I waded in the low tide as it washed up shore, shy at first, afraid to be swallowed up by some unsuspecting wave, for which I wasn't dressed for. Feeling the granules of sand slip beneath my feet as the tide retreated.  Running backwards towards incoming waves that ebbed higher and higher each time. As I looked outward I caught wind of the surfers.

If you've ever been a spectator to surfing then you'll understand the magnificence of it all. I imagined that the majority of surfers either had an inate sense of being in water, practiced heavily and perhaps encompassed a combination of both. Most of all it occurred to me there has to be a level of trust. Trust in oneself to navigate the physical capacity to compete against something as vast as the Pacific ocean. How do they know where the is a break in the current? As I watched them belly down on the board paddling out, I thought for sure the first wave would take them off balance. But nope, after the wave surfaced there they were, as buoyant as ever on the otherside of the break. Trusting oneself is one thing but it's a different story to trust anything outside of our immediate  control. Which much to our shegrin is usually the thing we as human beings struggle with the most; not having control.

And so does the ocean speak to each surfer, is there some kind of intuitiveness between the two? At first was it miscommunication and then all of sudden they were on the same wave length, (no pun intended). It was just such a sight to see, and I went deeper into thinking about trust in general.

If you've been on your own journey for a while. You'll understand. The things we experience that keeps trust intact and the that of which attempts to destroy it. Can we be the surfers and trust that we know how to flow, and if needed how to navigate the unknown with no real promise of control? Can we trust in the uncertainty of relying on something as vast as the ocean to meet us there, to carry us and with the same integrity to be gentle, and guide us, while we in return trust that we'll be okay in all of our vulnerability? Just some food for thought.

After returning home I made my way to the fridge to gulp down a refreshing drink of Cantelope. The recipe follows.

Fresh cantelope, peeled and chopped into medium diced cubes. If you have time, you can put the cubes in the freezer until ready to use).

Sugar (to taste)

Ice

Water- 1to 2 cups

Using a food processor or blender (select ice mode on either), take small portions of ice, cantelope and pulse. If needed add a couple tablespoons of sugar, Add water and continue to pulse until desired consistency. Pour and enjoy!