237 – Smooth

Click the video above for several minutes of background waves while reading.

I like to walk on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet. 

The area had a bad storm overnight with very high winds and driving rain. From high above the beach on my balcony around sunrise, the sand looked smooth – wiped clean of tire tracks and footprints by the strong winds. After breakfast, I noticed a few tracks of walkers.

When I arrived, my feet sunk into the soft sand and left evidence that I disturbed the smoothness. Walking toward the waterline, I noticed more evidence of the storm and winds – a higher-than-normal wrack whack line.

I reach the shoreline to find my preferred trail to walk on packed sand is more like a boulevard. Thank you, stormy seas and low tide. It’s wonderful. As smooth as it seems, sand still has grit – so how can sand be smooth yet gritty?

Smooth is my word today. Smooth; as in removing lumps, ridges, wrinkles, rough spots, projections, and indentations. Smooth; as in sleek, glassy, glossy, polished, flat, level, flush, silky, and more. Smooth is not bumpy, lumpy, rough, or uneven. Smooth lacks serrations or projections. Smooth is placid and calm.

I look at the sea, which isn’t smooth today. The active waves are bringing more white foam than usual to the shore. The waves are also larger and louder than normal, so I imagine they will be more violently crashing against the rocks at my turnaround destination.

Photo by Josh Withers on Pexels.com

Across the water, I notice a small boat bouncing across the waves. That’s certainly not smooth sailing for me. I know I wouldn’t do well as a passenger on that boat.

I like cruising but I prefer smooth waters because of my motion sickness. Then again, the violent seas can toss around a large ship because the ship is simply a thimble in a bathtub of turbulence.

My ballroom dance mind takes me to the two broad categories of dance: rhythm and smooth. I prefer smooth dances such as Waltz, Foxtrot, and Tango. To me, smooth best applies to Waltz and Foxtrot. When done well, the pair smoothly glides across the floor, and their smoothness is pure elegance.

My musical ear takes me to the smooth sounds of cool jazz and the beauty of a Rachmaninoff symphony. I can also hear our handbell choir director emphasizing flowing movements of arms and hands that create a smooth transition between notes.

I think about the smooth voices of singers. Female altos having a whole, rounded voice is smooth to me. Not gravelly, not piercing, not edgy, or wavering – just smooth with a subtle power that touches my soul without rattling my ears, mind, or mood.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

I think about wine because smooth is an applicable descriptor. To me, smooth means easy to drink – pleasant – not harsh or rough. However, being smooth doesn’t mean lacking flavor. Smooth red wines are low in tannin, therefore feeling less dry in the mouth. Smooth white wines are low in oak or involve stainless steel. I imagine connoisseurs of spirits and beers also can apply “smooth” to their preferred drink of choice – smooth as in less hoppy or bitter beers.  

I think of other smooth things, such as baby’s skin, glass, satin, apples, chrome, many metals, ice, the surface of a lake or pond, a newly waxed car, bowling balls, ceramics, and a gentle touch of a lover’s face during a kiss.

Smooth is watching a pelican glide effortlessly high above me or just above the water’s surface. Smooth is watching a galloping horse, especially in slow motion. 

Smooth are the rocks polished by nature’s persistent moving water – but stones are rare on this beach. Smooth is also the finished surface of a master woodworker or a jeweler’s polished gem.

Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com

I pass a patch of shells. I can select the smooth ones by sight – but smoothness is relative to something else. Their tiny ridges seem smooth compared to others, but the shell’s inner surface is shiny, glossy, and smooth.

Smooth has been an interesting topic to ponder because it applies in many ways to life and life’s encounters – so many that I’m confident that I left some thoughts out of this essay that may lead to a second essay. No matter if that’s the case, I like to walk on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

I’m linking to Jo’s Monday Walk for a medley stroll around her home area in southern Portugal. Tell her I sent you.

See what other bloggers have posted about Smooth

• Smooth Move (a photo essay by a visitor here)
• Things that are Smooth (a photo essay)
• Smooth to the Touch (a photo essay)
• Smooth Heads (a photo essay)
• Fun Things that are Slick and Smooth (a photo essay)

Next Post: Colors v3 – Saturday 4th August @ 1 AM (Eastern US)