"Blue Winds Dancing" by Tom Whitecloud, Assignment

Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by all the responsibilities and things that need to be done. I feel like I can’t slow down and get taken over by the chaotic weight of tasks that are not yet finished. I value peace but I sometimes struggle with finding the time to stop and smell the roses. One of the experiences that helps me wind down and convey inner peace and quiet is the ocean.

            On one particular trip to the beach, the ocean completely changed my perspective about my place in this big world. On that occasion, the beach was nearly deserted, as a tropical storm was approaching the Costa Rican coast; close enough to scare people from the beaches, but far enough away that there was no real danger. 

            As I approached the ocean, the stillness of the water drew me in. I climbed up a small reef on the shore and stood there, drinking the immensity of the sea, and the perfect illusion of an infinite horizon. The tornado of blue and green hues that melted together in the water, created a seamless mirror of power. A power that overtook my sense of self, making me quiver with respect and awe. I could smell the salty essence of the surroundings, and hear the prophetic call of the pelicans. Nothing else existed, nothing mattered, except the presence of this titan. The vastness engulfed me in a serenity cloak, and made me feel at absolute peace; peace with myself, and peace with everything and everyone that could possibly exist on this earth.

            I must have been standing there for a while, because all of a sudden, I noticed the wind’s firm singing around me, like nymphs casting their mythical breath. A moist and magnanimous force that thrashed and swayed everything in it’s path. The tranquility of the ocean was gone, and instead, the water crashed against itself, creating endless runaway currents, mirroring man’s existentialist nature. The blue hugeness of the horizon, was now a veil of turbulent darkness, preparing to swallow any bird that dare thread in his territory. My wonderment was un-waivered. The rhythm of my heart, depicted the trickle of trepidation that such entity bestowed on my soul. The turmoil that resulted from such contrasting opposites, sea and sky, reinforced the powerful spell that the ocean had cast on me that day.

            Almost as before, the ocean’s mood change, crept up on me, as I suddenly realized that all was calm again. The horizon spread it’s wings as far as the end of the world, and the ocean, was once more a fervent source of quietude. It sentenced me to a willing desire to bathe in reflection, and without a fight, I gave into a guided meditation, in which I focused on my inner thoughts. I felt so minute compared to such a giant. I suddenly felt I little selfish, and blushed. The warm, gentle breeze, caressed my cheeks: a permissive forgiveness had just been bestowed on me. 

            I had to go soon, it was getting late. I took a deep breathe, trying to inhale as much of that grandeur and peace as I possibly could. The horizon was titillating  with gold, amethysts, sapphires and rubies; like the crown of a proud monarch, who sits quietly and reigns through admiration and esteem. The ocean was saturated with eternity and grace; like the laughter of an infant, pure and sincere. I no longer felt the center of the world, but more so an appreciative member of it. That day, the ocean changed my perspective about who I was, and what I wanted from life.