One More Beach Day

I wrote a piece titled, “In My Mind’s Eye,” thinking that glorious beach day might be my last for the season but I was gifted another day which was, I will venture to say, even better.  It might be deemed the first of my bonus beach days and I so hope there will be at least one more. I guess my hope is always for one more radiant summer day at the beach.

I headed to Cottage Place on the Long Branch beach and traffic on Parkway South was light for such a fabulous Friday before Labor Day.  This time, the parking was easy and the schlep to the sand was swift. I was on my blanket and sun screened up before long. Once there, I did what I always seem to do:  exhale. My sister-in-law, Mary, calls the beach my happy place and that is fairly accurate but, when I am there alone, it is my place of peace. To those who don’t feel this, it would be difficult to explain, but as soon as I am settled on my blanket and basking in the sun, I feel like I can hold the world and all its troubles at bay. I have sometimes asked my students to describe a place which brings them peace and often they say that place is in their bedroom with headphones in and music playing.  Beach sounds provide the same soothing soundtrack to my summer life. The breeze was delightfully soft and sweet and the waves crashing and gulls squawking became the kind of background noise which appears on those relaxation tapes. For me, it is the epitome of peace.

At the beach, my routine is always the same:  some time on my back just getting acclimated to all the beach delights, some time on my stomach reading or napping, then the remaining time in my beach chair reading and absorbing the calm.  I had a limited time on the beach that day but I don’t need copious hours to feel better. The peace is pervasive.

There is something wistful, however, about packing up for departure on a late August day.  I like to think I will have a day or two more to bank in my memories but the stark reality is I may not return here for many months. And so, yet again, I try to imprint the feelings I had on this particular day.  I just read a report that The 2020 Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a colder and more inclement winter for the northeast this year but I will hold that report at arm’s length for a bit longer while I enjoy the memories of one more enchanting beach day.  In Urge for Going, Joni Mitchell sings, “I’d like to call back summertime/Have her stay for just another month or so.”  Wouldn’t it be lovely were we able to do so? But would summer be as sublime if it were with us all the time?