A Walk On The Beach

I live in San Francisco within walking distance of the beach, and with all the nice weather we’ve been having lately, I have the chance to go there frequently. I have always been fascinated by the ocean, maybe because I’m a Pisces, one of the water signs.

There is something fascinating, compelling, hypnotic about physically being on the very edge of the Western world. When you walk along the shoreline, you can feel the visceral impact of knowing you are at the intersection of two of the major elements of life, earth and water as they meet and clash in their eons-long forever struggle for supremacy.

There is something very powerful about watching the waves pounding the sandy beach. The waves are relentless and unstoppable, smashing and crashing onto the beach in a beautiful symphony of sound and sight, powerful and never-ending. Scientists say all life originated in the ocean and that 71% of the planet Earth is water, only 29% is land.

Perhaps this is why so many people enjoy going to the beach. In a way, it is like a homecoming. On some deep level we are drawn to the place of our origins. It is restful and soothing to see and hear the waves pounding the beach in their endless cycle, something sure and reliable in our uncertain world.

Hot weather, cold weather the daily patterns remain the same. Politics and power, the rise and fall of civilizations, the relationships and interactions of we humans are all just a backdrop to the raw power and beauty of nature.

Living on the West coast, you can gaze out across the water and know that on the other side of the Pacific ocean there are people in Japan, China and other countries in Asia, that have made their own way to their own beach. Perhaps they too wonder what is on the other side, what it must be like to live on the far, far distant opposite shores. Message in a bottle, anyone?

There is a beautiful synchronicity, a melding of natural forces that are readily apparent when you are walking on the beach. The waves, the tide, the sandy or rocky beach is a basic affirmation of life.

You can watch the sunset or the sunrise, the bold surfers, the brave swimmers, the families with children and their dogs running free basking in the sun when it is warm enough.

The beach is a source of endless speculation, a perfect place for meditation, a relaxing place to unwind and put in perspective the everyday concerns about work and finances and interpersonal relationships that consume most of our waking hours.

Observing the seashells and rocks and seaweed and occasional jellyfish that all come from who knows where as the waves deposit them on the beach is endlessly fascinating to me.

As is the constant wheeling and screeching of the seagulls and other birds that feast on the bounty the ocean washes up onto our shore. The sound of the wind, the roaring yet peaceful sound of the waves all combine to illustrate the beautiful symphony of nature.

A walk on the beach can be the perfect antidote for the stress and strains, the trials and tribulations, the clash of values and ideologies that otherwise permeate our daily lives. They can all be put aside for an hour or so, it allows us to find a safety valve, a safe place to relax and be one with the natural rhythms of life.

As William Shakespeare said in Hamlet: “There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio/Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”