Riding the Wave: Portraits of a Jersey Shore Community During the Pandemic
You’re sitting on a beach. The sun is rising in front of you. A soft gentle breeze blows, keeping you cool as the day starts to warm. In the distance you can hear the crash of waves on the shore. While you are being led through a meditation, you can hear a boat moving through the inlet as it makes its way into open water to fish. The air is salty and humid and you begin to feel the sun shine on your face. As you take a breath in, the scent of the ocean immediately brings you calm.
Wish you were in this spot right now? You’re not alone.
There’s an actual science explaining human attraction to water. It’s in our DNA and as we incorporate water into our lives, our DNA changes with it. The theory is called Blue Mind. In a book by Wallace J. Nichols, with the same name, he explains why people are drawn to water, and how it’s enhanced with every generation.
The affinity began as we began, connecting with our mother in the womb. The fluid that surrounded us as a fetus gave us comfort and safety. It’s no wonder we find water so enticing. As a developing people, being around water was a necessity. Humans needed it as a food source and nomads often followed a body of water for navigation and the benefits it brought. As time has gone on, and people evolved, water has served as a salvation for many. Its cleansing and healing properties lure people from all walks of life and allows them the comfort it holds. Different bodies of water attract different types of people, but they all have the Blue Mind in common.
The beginning of this piece is just the start to a typical day at the Jersey Shore. Every morning, people start their day along the ocean. Fishing boats are coming off the bays and inlets, making their way out to fish in open water. People are fishing off piers or just simply from the surf. Surfers paddle out into the ocean for “Dawn Patrol,” surfing as the sun rises. Yogis are meditating and saluting the sun. And that’s just scratching the surface. Not only are all these activities happening at the same time, but many more are biking, running, walking, and skating along the boards too. Ask any of those people why they need to be near the ocean and each of them will give you a different answer. The commonality of it if you break it down is simply their need to be near the ocean. In it, touching it, hearing it, smelling it, taking in the whole package. Feeding the Blue Mind. While during the height of the pandemic, the volume of all these activities has decreased, those who have the need still make their way to the water.
Most mornings, I make my way up to the beach to have my coffee and take in the salt air and listen to whatever the ocean has to say. My story is like many others. I grew up in a big city, never learning how to swim, being to the beach very little growing up. As a teen, I discovered that the beach was less than an hour away. From then on, I got there as often and however I could. I took the train, hopped in cars with friends and finally drove myself “Down the Shore” on a regular basis. This went on for decades, with a small blip of living at the beach for a summer in my 20s. Then one day, I sold my house, switched jobs and took the plunge, so to speak. I can swim now… I took my first lesson as a full-grown adult and WOW. It’s absolutely freeing. It’s been a little over 5 years and I am a completely different person than what I was when I first moved. Like I said, I can swim — but so much more. I am a certified 500RYT, something I wanted for a very long time and just couldn’t find the space in my life to do it. I love to SUP (stand up paddle) board on the rivers and bays, I’ve tried my hand at surfing (all over the world actually), I rollerblade again and just recently, I got certified to sail. None of this was on my radar even 10 years ago and now, I can’t imagine my life any other way. I’m often heard saying “I live 4 blocks from the beach, and I will never live further away than that ever again.” It took a long time to discover this life and I intend to take full advantage of it for the rest of mine.
As I’ve said though, I’m not the only one. During our COVID-19 “Stay at Home” order here in NJ, we could go out and get exercise. The oceanfront was filled every day with people doing different things. So many people were simply walking on the boardwalk that the town decided to close it. That stopped no one. People began walking on the street, side by side with cyclists, skaters, runners and the like. The beaches never closed though and there we found not only surfers, but people fishing from the beach, meditating, and singing songs live to others on social media. In June, there was a Paddle Out for Unity, where surfers paddled out to meet in the ocean and form a circle to support the “Black Lives Matter” movement. With the ocean as common ground, we were able to stay together, while staying apart. Throughout the pandemic, we thrived as a community, sharing this common ground, this love for Mother Ocean.
But don’t just take my word for it. Part of this piece is a photo essay depicting how creative people can get to be in or near the water. I hope by looking at these images, you can see what the appeal is, and maybe develop your Blue Mind too.
to get into the water (hoods optional).
