In the giant rush of all the
madness that encompasses your life and the time that everyone wants a slice of
you, there is always some place which is your refuge. That place which only our
few closest ones know of. It could be the quiet corner in the library amidst
those books which are not that frequented. It could have been that comfortable
branch of the age old tree whose canopy leaves told you stories of days gone by
while sunlight played hide and seek with you. If you were lucky, you’d have had
a patch of a river bank where you could sit and watch the ripples in the water
and practice your stone throwing skills, seeing how far you could skip those
stones before they sunk.
If you were from the mountains,
you’d have your own private view point where you’d have had a vantage position
over the land and felt like the lord of all beneath and marveled at
the various shades of the sky as the sun makes its journey in the sky.
I’ve been fortunate to have had a glimpse of the solitude that each of these
have had to offer. I’m partial to none of these, although, I do have fond
memories of each. However, I for some reason, have always been drawn to the
beach, the place as someone described where the land meets the sea and the sea
meets the sky.
Being brought up in a coastal
town could explain why the sea holds such a fascination. You might wonder,
what’s so special? It’s just a mass of swirling water after all, washing ashore
and then being pulled back like a well-worn routine, with grains of sand spread
across miles of land which have the annoying habit of sneaking into your shoes
and making it difficult to walk. The smell ain’t nothing much to write home
about either.
I’d like to think that like
mature wine or aged scotch, seaside is a solace that grows on you. You’d need
to pick your time of visit with care as choosing to be in the beach in the
middle of the day with the sun burning down on you or visiting late at night
when the tide is high could be a bane. I’d stick with dawn or dusk.
The distinctive tangy smell of
the sea is the first thing that greets you from over half a mile away before
you reach the seashore or hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.
Once you are closer, the grains of sand weave through your toes, greeting you
like friends who’re glad to see you back. Some experiences are best enjoyed
barefoot, and from this point forward would definitely be one among them.
The point where the waves come
and lap at your feet like they are eager to play, but not sure if you can keep
up with them, is one of my favorite spots to warm up. As I walk along the
waterfront with the waves gently slapping at my feet, I’ve often rolled on my
worries and the waves have at times lapped them right off me! I’ve enjoyed
taking a turn amidst the waves and letting it lift me up along with the waves.
They come rushing to meet you, like a long lost friend and give you a hug that
could lift you off your feet.
Even if one were to forgo getting
wet or were not in the mood to play in the waves, you could just perch yourself
somewhere in the shore and let the wind rip through your hair and let the voice
of the sea speak to you. As author Kate Chopin once said, ‘The touch of the sea
is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace’. One could sit and
enjoy one of the biggest screens of creation, all spread out, just for them and
all without a cost! You watch the distant ships charting their course on
unknown land and see a couple of fishermen ready their boats to set sail
folding in their nets to catch their fare. In the meanwhile, the canvas of the
sky change hues of glorious shades of blue mixed with red and orange which
shimmer across the surface of the water with the Sun playing peekaboo between
the clouds. Often in those quiet times, when I’ve enjoyed the show, like it’s
been put up solely for me, I’ve felt most at peace with myself.
The sea often makes us feel
really insignificant by its vastness and allows us to garner a fresh
perspective on things which rue our life. Like writer Sarah Kay said, “there's
nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the
shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away." It kind of gives the
forbearance to give another chance to solve whatever it was that was clouding
our day. If you were to give it some more time, you’d find the rhythm in the
waves and they could help you set a tune alight in your heart as well.
And as I’ve often gathered up my
things and bid adieu to the sea, I’ve felt the sound of waves, the smell of the
sea and the whistle of the wind, call out to me, asking me to not be a stranger
and come visit again. The memories of a visit to the beach linger longer in our
minds than the footprints do in the sand.
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