1 – Introducing

Click for 2 minutes of beach sounds to accompany your walk.

I like walking on the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

Never a run – very seldom a stroll – but a walk – a good exercise – and as we age, walking keeps us moving. My wife and I like to walk. We regularly walk at home. We walk on vacation. We walk on the ship’s deck when cruising. So yes, we walk on the beach.

On the beach, many times with her – but sometimes alone. As we walk, conversations can be short or long – the topics deep or shallow – important or trivial. In times of silence, my mind keeps going – thinking – pondering the world. Thinking is also a good exercise because, like the body, the mind must keep moving as we get older.

Now we are snowbirds – people from the cold north heading south for winter. It’s our time away from the gray skies and cold temperature of our home. A time for walking on the beach while being away from our normal routine at home. A time I refer to as my alter ego.

Our time as snowbirds facing the difficult daily questions of wondering about the temperatures at home – wondering what’s for dinner – wondering which way to walk first – wondering about the actual day of the week or the date because we aren’t sure.

A beach walk is a great way to face a new day. Peaceful and serene, the tranquil beach provides a place for therapeutic reflection – a time to work out problems – an opportunity to think about life, love, and happiness – a time to let the mind wander to any topic. After all, breathing in the sea air is a potent elixir.

The beach is a good place to think about different questions – the simple and the deep – or even deep thoughts that don’t always lead to answers. The beach is a cradle of thoughts.

The beach is a place of solitude – but not confined – yet, rather a place of unconfined solitude – a sanctuary – a haven. A different solitude from two regulars I normally encounter – seemingly two loners. The single sandpiper foraging the wet sand. The heron patiently standing still – waiting – watching. Yet, to the sandpiper and the heron, this is not their haven because they are working to fulfill a need – a requirement for life.

The beach is a time and place to be open and free from the everyday grind – a form of escapism to an alternate reality – a time and place for peace of mind and comfort.

The beach is a time and place to be open and free – a good time to contemplate life – a good time to encounter an eclectic collection of personal thoughts – a good time to allow my mind to visit many spheres of thought.

As I walk the beach my contemplations are mental dictations on imaginary paper. Yes – the perfect words of never-to-be published gems that never make it outside my mind. Sometimes poetic in the rhythms of Frost, Keats, or Poe – well, at least in my mind.

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

My thoughts can be simple or complex. Some about wonder – some leading to awe. Others start with awe then lead to wonder. Some are personal, others professional, and others in a wide range of topics – but fiction is a rare occurrence. All this as water refreshes my feet during my beach sojourn.

I look at the sea – sometimes catching boats or ships – other times the rolling waves on final approach – or the pelicans diving for fish. All along contemplating thoughts or searching for a metaphor or analogy. Thinking can be exhausting, yet refreshing, exhilarating, and reflective.

After walking, I attempt to recreate those insightful words. Usually in a notebook – but it’s never the same as the perfect string of words while walking the beach. Nonetheless, a collection of thoughts. Simple reflections from my mind as I walk on the packed sand along the water’s edge where water retreats to the sea. Thoughts that I would eventually transform into individual beach walks.

In time, I took a digital recorder to more accurately note my thoughts – thoughts that I would later transform into a draft. Over time, I would massage, tune, and edit the draft into something usable – then Google serves as a source to polish the rough edges, fill in the blanks, or expand a thought. Then find a video or music to close the walk.

This is the first of what I hope are many walks. Please roll over the three dots in the upper right corner for more information. You may be surprised at what you will find.

The bottom line is simple. I like sharing my thoughts with readers and interacting with them through comments. Besides, I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing my feet.