On a beautiful summer day on the 4th of July, the people that are a part of the landscape at the beach are so diverse, yet it seemed like every person belonged there, as if coming to the beach was an integral part of their lives. Everyone there was so very different, and there for different reasons, yet everyone of them would feel they were missing out on something if they weren't there for the day.
I had come to the beach to go windsurfing and had been invited to a 4th of July cookout by someone I hadn't met, so I unpacked my car, rigged up and tried out my new board. There was no tension at all, kids in the water, people out in kayaks, swimmers, and no one intruding on anyone else's pure enjoyment of this perfect day. I was made to feel most welcome by a family that had brought a trailer full of fun, including grills and a feast of middle-eastern food, and kids in tow that were well loved and carefully looked after. Just a beautiful day!
For me, I had a wealth of troubles to leave behind when I went to the beach that day, but feeling the sand surround my feet kept me in the moment and by the time my body was surrounded by the warm water, I had nothing to fell except relaxed and refreshed. I think this is what we all have in common, the need to refresh and feel like we belong here, and to completely forget about what time it is until the sun starts to get low in the sky. I had taken my product along to take some pics for my website, and my new friends even loved my soap and I made a few sales and I collected seashells for my craft.
The day had its excitement with a rescue of a boy who had gotten too far downwind and wasn't able to get back to the beach in the light wind. His mother pointed him out to me and I quickly realized he was in serious trouble. I directed her to seek the help of the family that had invited me, and indeed, they were extremely skilled at the sport and were able to tow the boy to the shore before he was swept out to sea. The ocean gives as easily as it takes away. I'm certain, though that the experience didn't take away the boy's love of the ocean or the sport of windsurfing. I had a similar experience exactly on the 4th of July in South Boston, and yet, I was there to help on this day two years later.
~Jeynaba
