One of the stops we made on our recent vacation was at St. Augustine. It’s the oldest city in the country, or some such thing. Honestly, history really isn’t my thing — but it was also the first time I’ve ever seen the ocean. In fact, no one in my family had ever seen the ocean, so it was very special.
First off, the ocean is salty. Yeah, yeah, I know, that’s why they call it saltwater. But really, it is salty man! It’s not like, “Martha, your potato salad has a bit too much salt.”
It’s more like, “Hey look, I put my foot in the ocean. Now I have foot jerky.” It’s that bad. But enough about that.
I’ve lived in Northern Michigan for over half my life, and I’ve seen tons of lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, springs, etc, etc. After spending one morning at the ocean, however, I don’t think inland beaches are allowed to call themselves “beaches” anymore. There’s just no comparison.
One of my favorite CDs is that “sounds of the ocean” kind that is basically a recording of the ocean. I’ve never liked the ones that interject music into the mix — I like just the ocean sound. Much like a picture of pumpkin pie isn’t anywhere near as nice as tasting pumpkin pie, those CDs don’t do the ocean justice. The depth and intricacies of the crashing waves are really indescribable. I found myself lost in a paradise that seemed, even at the time, to be cliche. I lay there on the beach, with my straw hat over my face, and drifted away. It was like feeling the vastness of space. If infinity had a voice, it would be the ocean.
Yes, the ocean is something special. When I was younger, my grandparents lived in Halifax. I would spend most of the summer with them and that included many trips to the beach…which was the Atlantic Ocean. Don’t even get me started on sand in your suit! It is something amazing and makes me realize how small we are. I remember my grandfather pointing off into distance where the water met the sky and saying “Way over there is Ireland. That’s where we came from Carrie.” I couldn’t see Ireland of course, and I felt so tiny. I hear the Rocky Mountains are the same way. No picture will ever do it justice. You just have to see it. Jim & I flew over the Grand Canyon and that was the same feeling. Nothing I’d ever seen in a book was even close to what I saw. Now I want to go back and see it up close. ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING! God did some of his finest work that day.
That’s real deep Shawn… real deep. 😉
But seriously, that sounds awesome. But I don’t think I’ll be going near the ocean for a while. But if I do, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it as much as you did… and the girls. 🙂
I was speaking with a friend (I’m sorry, I really forgot whom it was) about the immensity of the ocean. Really, from a shoreline perspective, there’s nothing more to see than from the shore of one of the local Great Lakes. You can just tell it’s different though. It feels bigger. 🙂