Me vs. the Sea



Me vs. the Sea

It happened last week. It was powerful and frightening–the stuff that stories are made out of.

I was rolling in the sea. No, more like I was being pummeled by the sea. Liters and liters of it poured over my head, pouncing on me and then drawing back. I knew not to panic: hadn't I learned anything from lifeguard training?  Shouldn't I just stand up and put my feet on the sand? Instead, I reached my hand over my hand, instinctively searching for a sense of up because down had fallen away from me. I suddenly knew why people drown: it's easy to be sucked in by the power of the sea's pushes and the loss of a sense of direction.
I needed to breathe. All of a sudden, the surface surfaced as my hand stuck out. I pushed up and gulped air before the sea rolled in again. I staggered to my feet but another wave crashed into me, pulling me under again. This time the water was shallow enough for me to find my ground.
The sea was ferocious. I just wanted to get out unscathed! I made it out of the sea's clutches and traced someone's tracks back to my towel. Ah, lovely towel! I grabbed at it for support. 
But who was I kidding? The towel was no match for the sand coating every crevice of my body. I sloppily donned my slightly too large and definitely too bright, blue sandals, clomping my way to an outdoor shower.
For once, I wished the stream of water wasn't so gentle. My scalp had absorbed the grit so much that no amount of water softened its bite. I shuffled home still sticky. It took two good washings and a lot of rubbing behind the ears before the shower water ran clear.
How incredible it felt to be clean and at home! I knew the sea had nothing against me, but it had been wicked with me! Next time, I won't test it when I see it's in a thrashing mood.


Photo: <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/dimitrisvetsikas1969-1857980/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5473869">Dimitris Vetsikas</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5473869">Pixabay</a>

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi

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