7/22/2008 4:19 am
Last Read:
5/3/2011 5:36 pm
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<--- Photo taken last Sunday.
After an iffy start yesterday morning and some surprise rain showers, the afternoon was bright, sunny and warm.
Like I mentioned in GC's Skinny Dipping , I went to the clothing optional beach. I did it!!!
Quite a long ride from where I'm staying, but the rental bike was fine, I was in a good mood and in good shape for a long bike ride, and past the end of the rail trail bike path, the traffic was surprisingly minimal. No show stopper, I kept pedaling.
Once I left my bike on the parking lot, off the shoes and the joy of walking in the sand. Again a joy which as city dude is rare. Where can you walk miles and miles, barefeet, without shoes isolating you?
Having a vague idea of where the textile gets optional, I trust my hunch that it had to be this way. If I'm wrong, I'll enjoy the walk and if the beach gets deserted, I might shed my swimsuit for a quick skinny dip.
Along the way, I didn't meet much people on the beach. If you're thinking of Cape Cod with the crowded ocean-side beaches, think again. In Mid-July, in the middle of a heatwave, it's eerie. Obviously, something is dead wrong. Also along the way, a few surf fishers, but not much.
Mhhh I asked how it's going, and it's not good: No blues, no strippers (blue = bluefish, stripper = striped bass. On a site like this one, it's safe to explain the local jargon.  ).
After walking for a while, in a distance I saw a guy au naturel going to the sea, a woman with her top off, I know I was right there.
I continue to walk a bit further, so I could have my spot to myself.
For a guy, it's nothing to remove the top, but it always take some guts to drop the bottom, and the feeling of being at the center of everyone's attention.
And it dawns on me why o why I'm there. It's been years the last time. Maybe because it's been years that I wanted to be there. And the connection with nature without shields too.
Now, if you know the Cape, and I mention *ocean* beach, and we're just in July... do I need to elaborate?
Yeah, the water is "%"$/??$/&? cold! And "nothing" down there, even symbolically, the ahem... thermal shock with my precious self was at brutal as it could get. I'm an Eskimo with a reputation to maintain, but we do heat our igloos in winter time, in case one wonders. 
Past the shock, it was sheer joy. To the senses of the water flowing, to feel the freedom of not being restrained by clothes.
I swam back to the shore, to sunbathe and "air dry" a bit... and I was there, observing my fellow law breakers and immoral people that we all are, and that made be smiling.
You realize that we are just humans... and proud to realize that none of us will make the next issue of Playboy nor Playgirl. We're humans, imperfect and the way it should be...
The possible impossible...
It could be about overcoming one's daemon. Getting in the nude and being with others who are in the same state of nakedness is one such daemon.
Not my first time, but it's there anyway. Skinny dipping in icy cold water another. Worst, as you know it's icy cold and it's going to be a shock, the anticipation makes it even harder to overcome that hurdle.
Being at the beach and observing the sea, it's an open invitation for me to ponder.
Dunno...
There are things I do which appear amazing, while to me there's nothing extraordinary. However, I'll stumble on the easiest things that people do routinely. I can rationalize that it's a matter of skills, trainings, learnings, but it doesn't negate the frustration even humiliation for failing.
And there are things in life... and you know the current time...
You have to have your butt kicked to move forward. Either you do that by yourself, either someone else kicks your butt, or events force you to go forward.
A common characteristic: You have no choice (or you remove yourself from having choices), so the net effect is... you move forward, even if scared, even if it's going to hurt.
Mhhhh...
And when you have done so, you congrat yourself. It is always that way.
For a while, I've been mulling on destiny (which Kindredspirit also blogged about: [post 73107] ).
In a way, it's being coaxed to go in one direction, and it doesn't change much that events are forcing me to go in that direction. The point is that I'm going to that direction and not the other...
Insecure. Overcoming one's daemon is a bit of that too. Or breaking a taboo (like dropping your clothes). Being self-conscious of how vulnerable you are... that's being insecured to the max...
... and you realize the irony of putting so much trust on something as thin as clothes.
I'm an insecure guy, but for a long time I've been trying to not have that to stop me.
As a tall guy, and somewhat ahem... bulky, you're often one's bodyguard. Did that at my university years with the evening classes, and these days with the female colleagues when we have to work overnight. Indeed where we work is one "hot" place when bars close at 3AM. I don't say a word, but I'm no more braver than the colleagues I'm escorting. But you don't expect big tall guys to have fears? That's my problem.... but I kick my butt to go forward nonetheless, even though fear is eating me from inside.
And I come to conclusion that it's the same old story, just seen from different perspectives,
Something which, with varying skills, some doing it better than others, we all do, and no amount of rationalization, it doesn't negate the frustration nor failing.
It seems I'm back to my chain of thoughts.
And that's the cycle of life. Back and back, different perspective each time, and up to us to make our life better on each cycle...
... and doing so by moving forward, and the best is probably by kicking your own butt as hard as you can, and not let events or other people doing that onto you.
(Part of thoughts and others, on such a beautiful day... and congratulating myself that I made it to that beach yesterday. )
Cheers,
-E
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13597 posts 7/22/2008 7:18 am |
Unrelated with this post, but it seems there's something in the air. On the bloglist this morning, everyone is writing about something or being naked.
I guess it's summer, and the sun and the heat inspires a lot of fellow bloggers!
Cheers and be good.
-E
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13597 posts 7/25/2008 11:24 am |
Quoting JuliaDeBurgos:
Tomorrow is poetry wednesday and the theme is "naked" - You know how people are, just can't wait to bare it all. Ha, beats bearing it all.
Great post. In all ways. Plus, I lived in P-Town for a year, doing almost nothing but walking on the dunes.
Peace, Brother
I'm catching up with the message. It's terrible to be on vacations! Harumpf!
And I _think_ that since then, there have been a few naked posts. 
Ah, Provincetown! Lucky you to have live for a year!
Me too, I think I'd be walking in the dunes, as often as I could!!!
Sigh... There's something there, and I'll never grow tired.
Peace, Sister!
(and cheers too)
-E
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