Expectations Exceeded!

Well today was one of those days where the swim definitely exceeded expectations. I guess that explains most swims because, honestly, my expectations are pretty low as I walk down those stairs and look out at that water. It’s undeniably beautiful and expansive and it fills my heart and all the rest of my insides, but I am warm. I am warm and I do not want to be cold. I look at that water and I love it but I figure I am going to be cold and therefore miserable. And there you you have it. I expect to be miserable.

So I get out of the water and I am pretty much the opposite of miserable. Expectations exceeded!

It’s a mostly sunny day today with these cool looking puffy clouds off in the distance. I can see Catalina on the drive to the beach and those clouds are all gathered up right in front of the island. It looks beautiful.

I know the water will be colder today. We had these west wends all last weekend and the beginning of this week that would not let up and that causes upwelling and makes the water colder. Still, it’s 63 and while it is not the sultry 68 we had last Saturday, it’s not terrible even if I have a hard time convincing myself otherwise walking down those stairs.

The water hits my feet shortly after reaching the beach and it does feel cold but I get in and I start to swim and it just takes a few minutes and it is delightful. No, it’s not warm but it’s great. I can feel life entering all of my sinews and tissues. I have brought so many cares and worries with me to the water today. I haven’t swam in a few days because work has been so busy and I almost didn’t come today but I reached a decent pause and I just couldn’t keep myself away.

As I swim, I stare out onto the horizon just west of me. I watch the water swishing and sloshing in front of my face. Thoughts race through my head of other things I think I should be doing and things I wish I was doing instead. They conspire to keep me elsewhere and they are doing a pretty good job, but in the end the water wins. There is just so much of it. I am completely immersed. I can feel it all around my body. The sunlight penetrates my skin and renders all of those thoughts irrelevant. The sun and the sky and the clouds and the water and the sand are all right here right now and they are good - so good.

There is a bright orange buoy way out here in the northern half of the beach. There is the Jr. Lifeguard program storage container recently parked adjacent to the northern bathrooms. Both of these things fill me with joy. They tell me that summer is almost here. I still have to go to work but I enjoy living vicariously through those kids as they run up and down the beach and frolic out here in the water.