cathy33Sunday June 12, 2016
This morning, a June Sunday morning, I woke to the sunrise. I headed for the beach early before the crowd would become to arrive. The tide was low, the sun was heating up already. It is going to be a hot one today. There is a slight cooling breeze off the ocean helping the beach feel comfortable at the moment.
A dog was playing in the surf. I watched him a bit before venturing into it myself. I played in the surf for a bit. People were coming out of the beach houses and claiming their spots. Up were going tents and umbrellas, beach chairs and towels, coolers and beach toys were being played, stacking out their territory.
Others were coming over the beach access onto the beach and finding and claiming their own perfect spot on the beach. Others were walking along the shoreline.
I take all this in as I move between playing in the surf and sitting writing in my chair. The sun continues to rise up into the sky and heat up. The beach is filling with people. Most of them are tourist having arrived yesterday for their week beach vacation. Some others are people who live in the nearby communities coming to enjoy a Sunday at the beach.
I live here as well as the couple thousand locals who make this island their year round home. We have a love/hate relationship with summer and the tourists. This island is our home we live here.
This island is my home. I get to come to the beach everyday. I have come down early so I can leave before the mid-day sun and all the people filling the beach. Today anyway I am here to have some rest and relaxation before I spend my week working. I am not on vacation. Summertime is full out work schedule not vacation time for those of us who live here. In fact it is our busiest season and we work long hours and often more than 5 days a week.
I am very lucky to live here and live this beach-island lifestyle. It is the life I have dreamed off living. I know that the people on vacation are here to enjoy every moment they can on the beach. I work my day and life around them.
I am off the beach by 11. Head home shower and change. Inside now during the hot sun. I am working. Writing on my blog and projects I am working on. In a little while I will head to the sports bar to watch my favorite baseball team. Later friends will join me there for dinner.
Tomorrow I go back to work. I will encounter tourists and visitors wherever I go. I enjoy meeting new people and seeing familiar faces of those who visit each year. I hope I make their stay a little nicer.
Truth is I don’t enjoy the beach as much as I would like in the summer. Working many hours makes me tired. As much as I love being around people sometimes the beach gets a little overwhelming to me. I guess that is because the beach is my sacred space. It is where I go to rest and unwind after work or on my day off.
When I am enjoying a day at the beach with friends then I am good with the crowed busy beach full of people but that doesn’t happen often in the summer. Fall is when we finally get to have enough time to all get to go to the beach on the same day!
Sad that we kind of wish the summer away. Each summer we vow to enjoy the summer and beach more. We have vowed that yet again. I hope we do get to enjoy the beach along with our visitor.
Going to the beach most days in the summer – even if for only a little while. I have to avoid the high sun. So until tomorrow late afternoon I am off the beach while it is being enjoyed by many.
Off to watch baseball. Have a great early summer day.
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