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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Beach (07/04/05)
The thing is that I love beaches. I probably shouldn’t because I’ve see so much turmoil on them. You see I was a Marine. But I gotta tell ya, some of the best times I spent were where the water meets the sand.

I was really honked off when “Jaws” came out. It scared me away for awhile. I don’t want to get chomped on by a great white when all I came to do was get a tan and maybe do some body surfing. On the other hand it had to be great for the sharks. I can see them now all smug in their schools, giving each other “high five fins” and shouting “Yeah man!!! We RULE!” all the while wearing their baseball caps sideways and maybe also having their trousers dropping down past their dorsal fins. Of course the older sharks were probably shaking their heads in disbelief at these pups, and asking themselves what the younger generation was coming to. “In MY day the sharks RESPECTED the humans. Oh Yeah, we took a bite now and then but it was mostly your occasional shipwreck victim.”

Anyway, things kind of got back to normal and we all went back to the beach. I’m glad too because the beach is a place that you can go to ANY time. Some of the BEST times are in WINTER. Ever go shell collecting on a cold winter day? It’s MAGIC. The smells, the cold air, the feel of the water on your feet and the rolled up cuffs of your jeans...What a blessing! And the contemplative moments. I watched my oldest brother in prayer...sitting on a rock at Jamestown Rhode Island, looking out at the bay that had served as a source of strength to him for fifty years. Although I had accompanied him to the beach, he didn’t even know I was there...and for a moment...I felt closer to him than I had in a long time.

Weird things happen at the beach too. Take Physics. Why does it always take so LONG to get there (especially when your FATHER’S driving), yet such a SHORT time to come home? How come the first time that you go on your own is so DIFFERENT than when you went with your family. Do you REALLY drown if you don’t wait thirty minutes after you eat a bologna sandwich before you wade in? (Momma’s rule.) Why is a kiss from a girl so much better than it was on your front sidewalk?

Go ahead...Go to the beach...Enjoy, laugh, take a dip. Talk to the old couple holding hands next to you...

That’s me kissing my wife.
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This article has been read 1484 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Deborah Bauers
07/12/05
Very cute! I love how "real" you are. A fun read. Thanks.
Billie Jean Millen
07/12/05
Great panoramic view of beach possibilities! Bet the reminiscing was great! The beach has a remarkable way of helping us contemplate life.
Nina Phillips
07/12/05
very light-hearted! An enjoyable reading experience. Yeah, I remember JAWS, he-he. God bless,
littlelight
Shari Armstrong 
07/12/05
Semper Fi :) I loved this -very entertaining!
Amy Michelle Wiley 
07/13/05
I loved this! Very well written and down-to-earth. Keep up the good work!
Christine Sparrow
07/13/05
You brought tears to my eyes. I heard your heart talking. Well done.
Christine Sparrow
07/13/05
Hey forget that last comment, it was ment for another article. Now lets do yours. You wrote to the reader like you knew them, that a good quality to have. Well done.
Phyllis Inniss 
07/13/05
I like the way you wrote in such a light-hearted way, even though the experiences you mentioned were important to you. Thanks for sharing.
dub W
07/14/05
Well done, especially the lead sentence - which drew me right in.
LINDA GERMAIN 
07/15/05
This was absolutely SWEET (made ME smile. :0) Thanks.
Shannon Redmon
07/15/05
From jaws to kissing your wife- very nice entry!
Beth Muehlhausen
07/16/05
Love the "Yeah man, we rule!!" comment. :-) Lots of things to think about here; nice variety.
Maxx .
07/16/05
I think the last line really pulled it all together. Excellent!
Anita Neuman
07/17/05
It's a difficult thing to write how you speak without sacrificing professionalism, but you've done it well! Congratulations! (And I really like that last line.)
Marilyn Schnepp 
09/24/06
That's my favorite thing on planet Earth...the ocean, the beach, the sand, the smell, the peace, the solitude...thanks for a beautiful scene, and another "out of this world" essay. You're better than the late great Lewis Grizzard! ..and I THOught NOBODY could come close! Semper Fi, my friend!