Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Sea


I’ve always wanted to write about the sea, but I just don’t have the sea in my blood. At least I don’t have it in a large enough quantity where there is real passion. I remember going to the sea as a child. We’d take day trips to the “Shore” as we called it back east. I swam and body surfed. I’ve tasted the salt water and got sand and shells in my bathing suit.

I’ve seen the ocean from several the East Coast states that have a coast line from Maine to Florida. I’ve experienced the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast; California, Oregon, Washington and Canada. I’ve snorkeled off three Hawaiian Islands. I’ve seen white, black and green sand beaches. I’ve flown several times over the vastness of the Pacific from an altitude where one cans till see the foam of the waves breaking below.

I am fascinated by the ocean, but I just don’t have a strong passion for it. I would love to be out on the middle of the ocean on a starry night. I’d love to travel through a gyre. I’d love to experience St. Elmo’s Fire. I’d love to see flying fish and I’m sure there are so many remarkable things out there to write about. However the reality is that I will probably never go on a cruise. I’ll never be in the Navy and I’ll never work on an ocean going vessel. I probably have as much chance visiting the Kuiper Belt than I have of crossing the surface of the sea.

I suppose I better stick to writing about the things I know.

7 Comments:

Blogger JustRex said...

One of my most favorite wishes is to experience a real North Sea storm. But I suspect that i would be making new pictures for your sick day posts if I were to be on a ship. Maybe I could get close enough from the northern shore of Scotland and it would be good enough. I too, love the sea. But the sea doesn't care for me all that much.

6:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the ocean too, but the motion of the ocean... not so much. I can handle the up and down of rivers or lakes, but the up-down-back-forth of the ocean... ug. I sure admire the Bar Pilots.

9:43 AM  
Blogger dalia said...

the ocean is overrated, i think, as lovely as it is. the smell of the water and the sound of the waves hitting the shore is nice, but...idunno, as much as i love it, i don't think it's that big a deal.

11:18 AM  
Blogger Auntie said...

we are two mariners, our ships' sole survivors, in this belly of a whale...

1:10 PM  
Blogger The Guy Who Writes This said...

Darev and Anon, I've been in waves on a boat before that my body felt like it was still rocking the next day on land.

Dalia, you'd appreciate it more if fashionable foot wear came from the sea.

Auntie, It's ribs are ceiling beams. It's guts are carpeting, I guess we have some time to share... Colin Malloy is a genius!

5:33 AM  
Blogger Tango's Going Ons said...

When ever we had a hint of sickness my parents would take us to the North Sea which was about 10 km away....it was our cure-all. I think the last time we went is when we had the whopping cough. I miss the smell of the salt water.

10:33 AM  
Blogger dalia said...

HAR! you crack me up.

9:51 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home