Lessons I learned at the beach

Two weeks at the beach and I read two books, Jazz, by Toni Morrison, and The Mermaid's Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd.



I wrote this untitled poem:

Bared soul/soles, exfoliated,
scuffed across scorching sand,
a smile frozen on my face.

Purified my pores with perspiration,
incinerated my worries,
doused my woes with a wave.

Scooped buckets of happiness,
constructed castles
pounced on sea jewels.

Collected enough salt, sand and surf
to take me through another year,
renewed.

I did not write a lot at the beach, but I stumbled upon some revelations applicable to writers.


There were twelve of us crammed into a van for a scenic tour to the top of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Island for a view of the Caribbean. When the driver rounded the narrow mountain road, riding precariously close to the cliff's edge, a young woman behind me spoke out.

"Jesus Christ!"

I turned with a stern look,and I saw that she had her eyes closed and her hands folded.

"Jesus Christ!" was a prayer not a swear.

1. Don't jump to conclusions. Words can be misconstrued. Praise God, share the space, the waves ... and also generously share writing call outs, and your knowledge with other writers.
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Most vacationing beach goers hope to come home with a suntan. It cannot be done in one day. Tanning is a slow process, and staying too long in the sun on day one results in a sunburn.

2. Trying to write a book in a week, an essay in an hour or a poem in a minute is as impossible as getting an even tan in one day. It can cause a writer to burn out.
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We had one day of torrential non-stop rain. Storm clouds gathered, lightning chased beach goers inside, and thunder rumbled. Storms dump on all of us when we least expect it. After the rain you can almost always glimpse a rainbow, maybe not the complete arc, but a spot of color is a promise of brighter things to come.


3. Seek colors in a bland day; look not sky high but in unexpected places.
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Caribbean time is a slow ticking clock. I commented to our native driver, a young man of thirty, that he looked twenty.

"That is because I smile a lot, and when you smile and are happy inside, it shows on the outside."

He dropped us at an isolated beach where Princess Di once swam. It was one of 365 beaches on the island. Can you imagine one beach for every day of the year? A woman in our group had to use the restroom. She walked to a snack shack which was supposed to be open. She discovered a female employee snoozing on the porch floor.

"Excuse me, I thought you opened at 11:00. I have to use the bathroom."

"The owner is late. No problem. Go pee in the sea," the woman said and rolled back over.


4. Think positive, take it easy, make do; find a creative solution.
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While walking along the beach, a gusty wind stirred. A beach ball rolled past me at a good clip. I kicked the ball towards the beach in hopes that the child who lost it might retrieve it. But the ball caught another groove in the sand and kept rolling. By the time I returned to the hotel, that ball was long gone.

5. Keep your momentum going. If you get stuck in a rut, find another way out.
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A flock of docile seagulls waited quietly for someone to toss a morsel. There was nothing to differentiate one from the other.

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An orange beaked bird joined the flock and squawked and squealed and made itself known, circled the sea and wasn't at all hesitant to dive in for a meal.


6. Don't wait for it to happen, make it happen. Dare to be different. Make yourself and your work stand out from the rest. It doesn't hurt to toot your own horn. GO FOR IT.
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When you stumble, don't stop, just put one foot in front of the other, pen to paper, fingers to the keyboard. Keep going.

Glad to be back home.