Daily Reflection: Looking for Silence on The Shore

Have you ever been to a shopping mall on Black Friday and felt the vibrations of the floor?

That’s what I felt this morning as I sat on my local, usually unspoiled beach.

As I woke up with the intention of planning my day around my chores and rewarding myself with an early evening swim, I was quickly convinced otherwise when I openend instagram.

A new local friend that I made through the shop had posted his morning swim just one hour ago and it stunned me.

Immediately I knew I couldn’t miss it.

I got up. Donned the first bikini in sight, grabbed a towel and headed out the door, in the heat and made my way down to the local beach.

I was too late.

I missed that stillness this place usually offers me.

When I arrived, I held my breath for a moment as o noticed the volume of people on this beach at 10:35.

Whilst the sea remained it’s beautiful self, and was still relatively calm and clean, there it was, the later of sunscreen shimmering on top of the water, the plastic snorkels sticking up from the shore line.

I made my way through the noise and sat for a moment trying to find calm amongst the noise.

To find my way through the sea of people to find space for myself.

For my usual ritual.

For my usual silence.

Whilst I sat, I could feel it, I was almost shocked by it, but I had felt the same vibrations once before, at a shopping mall on Black Friday, if you stood still for a moment you could feel the floor shake.

The vibration of footsteps and voices beneath me.

Disturbing what once have me peace.

This is why I believe the ocean is so much more than what we realise.

Amongst all of this noise, it still bought me peace, beauty, stillness in my mind.

The moment I ducked my head beneath the surface I was clean, cleared from any worries I carried down to the beach on my walk.

I feel happy.

Instantly.

I might have missed the stillness, but it still cured me.

My daily medicine, the ocean.

🩵