Summer is Now in Session

I should not be swimming. I have way too much to do. I was pretty much fine with switching up to the elliptical machine earlier today. It’s a faster workout and does not involve blog posts and photo edits. Believe me, no one wants to see photos of that. Then I ended up needing to drive my son somewhere and before I know it, it is nearly noon. I’m looking at the web cams and the beach is actually looking super enticing. Not that that is so out of the ordinary but this morning it was kind of lackluster with wind and clouds.

So I’m thinking of how un pleasant the elliptical machine will be, but whatever I do I need to do it now. I am starving and want to eat. Maybe I should just eat and forego a workout all together. No I can’t do that, that will just ruin my whole day. Then I look at the web cam again. Ok f*** it, I’m going to the beach.

I am ready in 3 minutes and out the door a little after noon. As I head down Palisades Drive, I just can’t believe how pleasant the water looks. It was all breezy this morning and, yeah, it was supposed to die down before blowing back up in the afternoon but I just did not expect this. It is warm and sunny and are we sure it’s only May?

At the bottom of Palisades, I briefly think I will swim at Capo. That will save me 30 minutes and I am here now and it looks good. Besides, I see a big cloud bank near the horizon stretching around the point. What if Strands is all cloudy and I miss this wonderfulness? The light turns green and I decide to turn right towards Strands and take my chances. If it really is this nice, then I want to take full advantage and enjoy my favorite beach.

I get to Strands and it is everything I had hoped for and more. This is definitely an “exceeds expectations” kind of a day. The water is not what I would call glassy but it is relatively calm for this time of day and this whole scene in front of me looks the most inviting that I have seen in weeks and I know this time the water will be not super cold. Speaking of the water, it is a lovely dark blue and it looks fairly clear from here on the stairs.

The landscapers are trimming the bushes here and it smells like rosemary all the way to the asphalt. I see the beach and it looks perfect. No threat at all from that cloud bank. It is way out there and if anything just enhances the view.

I step in the water and it does feel cool. I wonder if it may have gotten colder since yesterday. Then I head in and start diving beneath the oncoming waves. I completely forget about water temperature until I am past the waves. Then I acknowledge that there has indeed been NO drop in water temperature. This is downright nice. This is what I have been waiting for since October. This is Summer. Sure it’s May, but I’m not gonna get all hung up on the calendar. I am telling you that this is Summer.

The entire swim is an utter delight. The water is not what I would call “crystal clear,” but it is pretty clear. It is a beautiful light bright blue. The beach is glowing from what I can tell and the horizon breaths life right into my face all the way up my north bound leg. My “glass half empty” voice is complaining about the lack of calories I am burning in this comfortable water. Well that voice can suck it. I’ll get fat like those jolly Buddhas and I’ll be free of the cycles of birth and death.

I am trying to stay right here in this moment. How does the water feel? How does the light feel? That’s all there is here - water and light. That’s all I need - water and light. Water and light. Occasionally I see faces of certain people in my life and I here the echoes of conversations we have had and the water and light temporarily disappear like a broken spell. Then I wake up and remember where I am. Then it’s water and light all over again until I forget again and again and again.

I feel love in this water and light. I worry about what I need to keep myself and my kids safe. I fear about things that have not come to pass. I ruminate over things I cannot change. I forget that none of that matters right now. They are all just distractions. I think that I need circumstances to bend to my will and that I need people to comply with my wishes. I forget that I have everything right here and that I am equipped with all that I need to carry me through the valleys of my future. I imagine that the ten thousand things that surround me can give me pleasure or pain and lose sight of the fact that it is the core of who I am and the ground of my being that provides all that I need.

My reasoning, logical mind does not want to accept this. What about that guy on the downtown Santa Ana street corner I saw earlier today? It didn’t look like he had everything he needed. How can I know that everything will not suddenly go south? I don’t know. I can never have certainty. And I have no idea why or how that guy in Santa Ana ended up where he is. I do know that I am almost 57 years old and I have never once been without a bed or food. Sure, maybe I’m just lucky.

This water and light is whispering otherwise into my ear. I’m not exactly fluent in it’s language so there are a lot of questions and some details I sure would like to iron out but I am pretty sure I get the gist. I should not have gone swimming today. So much to do, but I am sure glad that I did.

P.S. The Orange County Junior Guard storage container has been placed in it’s summer time home adjacent to the northern bathrooms. There you have it. Summer is now in session.