On the Beach

The next day I traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida on business. Staying at hotel on the Gulf has its advantages - primarily easy access to the beach! So there I found myself outside again at midnight, twenty-four hours later, on the beach. This time standing in the surf in what a Northerner would consider warm water - the locals say pretty soon it’ll be warm enough for them to swim in! ;)

In contrast to the deserted golf course, the beach was teeming with people out for walks. That was another reason to be standing in the surf - the beach was pretty busy! Presumably with vacationers enjoying late night walks. Couples, families and individual folks traveling down the beach, walking in, out and around the surf.

It was a little hazy so the moonlight didn’t seem quite as bright and the moon had taken on a yellowish hue. At a distance most folks were simply shadowy figures. It was impossible to make out details and features of other people unless you passed close by them on the beach.

It was quite a different evening. Both because of the number of folks out laughing and playing, and because I could stand in the salt water surf. For someone like me who doesn’t live near the ocean it takes some faith just to be able to stand in the water, in the dark, while wondering what sea creatures are lurking nearby. :)

But standing in the water and looking out into the vast ocean instills such a feeling of connectedness and serenity, it can't be passed up. The sensation of being grounded is intensified by the feeling of my toes digging into the sandy bottom, and the pleasantly warm water on my legs. There's just not much that needs to be thought about when you've got that kind of connection.