Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Beach

"That which is yours will always return to you. That which you take, will always be taken from you." Native American Saying


It's funny how no matter what you do, nature has a way of reminding you to take a break from things. I apologize in advance for my long absence. Nature was taking its course with me in reminding me to slow down and rest. My Flight Physician called it, "exhaustion by passion." I guess I was so passionate about what I was working on, that time eluded me. I was working on a project that required sixteen hour days and I would bring my work home to try to get a head start on the next day's activities only to find myself getting further and further behind. No matter what your station is in life, there will always be things and events that you can't control, starting with the staff or team that you are working with. Everyone has their own rhythm and way of doing things. Some will work with you and some people will work to their own advantage and that may or may not be a good thing for you.

I've watched over the years friends grow and graduate to go on and move to the other side of the world and though they said they would keep in touch, I find that time waits for no one, not even e-mail or a phone call. The weeks pass, as well as the months, and before we can remember the last time we were in one another's company, years have passed. Time waits for no one, but nature allows us to catch up with our selves. Physically exhausted and 11 months into a 16 month project, I am no closer to being finished than I am with quitting. When I have moments like this, I try to go for a swim and preferably in a large body of water. The ocean has always been a place to rediscover myself and the importance of what really matters in life. I walk along the beach with the sand between my toes and I think how insignificant we must all be in relation to the ocean and all the creation around us, the big blue sky, and the seemingly endless sand that separates us from the dry and the wet. Have you ever swam in the ocean and felt no bottom beneath your feet? That's what life is like sometimes for me. It can be frightening at times, but I've never felt so alive as I have when I'm frighten. It is only when I realize that I don't have to drink all the salt water in the ocean when I'm swimming that I accept the fact that I can coexist with the ocean. Even in its vastness, I am not afraid. Life is like the ocean in a way, it suspends us in time, until we actually start swimming and it is when we participate in our environment that we come to accept our good fortune in being above ground. Any moment above ground is a good day and all the drama that comes with each day, is the essence of our memories, be them good or bad and today is a good day!
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