Forever Home

I thought a swim was going to happen yesterday for sure. The sun was starting to come out around 10:00 and I thought I’d get one last thing done for work before I left. It was a simple task. Really just a single command on the computer. That’s what I do for a living. I give commands to computers. I’ve been doing it for 25 years. I’m pretty good at it. I’m not very good at giving commands to humans.

It ends up my command was not quite right and the computer executed it anyways. Basically this command made every item available on our website “private,” which basically means everything disappeared to the outside world. Not good. I knew exactly what happened after the command finished. There was no “undo” button and I immediately realized that there would be no swim or any other kind of workout. Not to worry, I am still employed and all is well now, but I’m certainly not keen to do that ever again.

So today at 9:00, I’m looking clear to leave and I am not issuing any commands. I’m just going to leave the computers up to their own devices and trust they do the right thing. The sun won’t be coming out any time soon today but that’s ok. It’s mild outside and I know the water will be comfortable.

As I am approaching the parking lot, I’m noticing that my favorite parking space is free. Then I notice that a lot of spaces are free. Then I notice that ALL the spaces are free. What is going on? The parking lot entrance is blocked off. Well I have not heard of any beach closures so I find a space off the street which isn’t that much farther from where I would usually park. There is a sign next to the bacthrooms announcing partial parking lot closures yesterday and today for asphalt work. Oh ok. Just as long as the beach is open I am happy.

There is a bit of a breeze in the air and a small amount of texture on the water. I see something in the water about a couple hundred feet out and a bit north of my usual entry spot. It looks like an orange or red buoy. I’m pretty sure this belongs to the lifeguards. They usually put one out about this time of year just before all the other buoys owned by the junior guards. I don’t know why I’m so excited about a red orb on the surface of the water but I just can’t wait to swim to it.

I get in the water and I’m warmer now here than I was walking in the breeze. This is downright comfortable. I swim south and the water is just so great. It is super bouncy. It’s not particularly turbulent but it just feels like I’m in one of those bouncy houses lying still in the center while surrounded by others jumping and bouncing on the floor.

I try to lose myself in the colors and shades beneath the water. I’m letting go of my analytical mind that is able to differentiate one object from another. It’s a great part of the mind and often super useful but I don’t need it now and it feels good to give it a rest. There is no line of separation now between myself and the water. My thoughts float freely outside the confines of my mind and I release them out to the collective.

I swim through sandy clouds as waves pass by and deep blue expanses where I can see a turquoise screen that has no borders and a depth that extends forever. I continue to swim in this sort of state of suspended animation. I am preserved by the amniotic fluid of the ocean. I stare into the stalks of kelp and wonder if I can just nestle myself in the vines and make this my forever home.

After I turn around at the south end of the beach and start to near the north end, I go ahead and bring my analytical brain back online because I’m going to need it to find that buoy. Where the heck is it? Oh there is is. Maybe a few hundred feet further north. I keep stopping and reassessing and it is getting closer until I am parallel to it but it is far inshore of me. I decide to proceed to my usual northern turnaround point and then rendezvous with it on the way back.

When it is time to head back. I veer in shore and I figure I must be getting close but no buoy. Then I see it and now I am super inshore of it. Well I just have to see it up close so I swim directly west to make contact. This takes what seems like a while and finally we meet! It looks brand spanking new. Like it’s fresh off of the buoys ‘r’ us shelves. This is a little anti-climactic. I was hoping for some kind of clever markings. Nothing.