A Bench by the Sea
I have always been drawn to the sea. The sea and seashore has always enticed me with its siren song of splashing waves and fascinating tides.
When I couldn’t be by the sea, I made do with stories about the sea (Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Moby Dick, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mutiny on the Bounty) and songs about the sea (Farewell to Nova Scotia, Orinoco Flow — Sail Away, Wellerman, Spanish Ladies, Northwest Passage).
As a youngster, I had a fantasy of having a property by the sea where I could quietly sit alone on a seaside bench and commune with nature in all its salty glory. Falling off a seawall, cutting my hand on shells, and needing 14 stitches didn’t dim my desire.
Shortly after my 69th birthday, I achieved my fantasy. I moved into a house of my own by the ocean with a perfect oceanfront bench site. Unfortunately, there was no bench. So I built one.
I have spent many hours sitting on this bench and enjoying the oceanic nature spread before me. And the water seems to enjoy showing off for my pleasure!
Along with the tides, there are sailboats and cruisers, the occasional freighter, uncountable numbers of logs, and pieces of driftwood floating by, all highlighted by the sparkle of sunlight on the ripples.
Accompanied by a chorus of birds, nature shows up in abundance. Fish jump. Orcas swim by. Seals take naps on the rocks below me. Otters frolic in the kelp beds.
Just the other day I was able to watch a couple of young otters at play. They reminded me that I should always make time to play. Heck, I’m retired, why not play? What else is the point of a second childhood if not to play until you drop?
Sometimes people ask: “If you were to reincarnate as an animal, which would it be?” For me, the answer has always been: “I want to be an otter!”
Otters have a great life. They are such efficient hunters that it takes no time at all to feed themselves. They spend the rest of their lives playing.
I remember once, about half a century ago, (wow, I’m getting old) when I camped on a nice sandy beach and then went for a sunset walk. By the time I got back, the tide had come in (silly me) and washed my camp away. I managed to light a campfire above that night’s high tide and slept fitfully through the night, waking up regularly to build up the fire and then turning over to warm the other side. When I woke up in the morning the tide was out and most of my camp gear was gone. I still wonder if anyone ever found my brand-new pack frame and was able to use it.
Anyway, what had woken me up was a pair of otters squabbling over one of my shirts. They each had an arm and were having a tug-of-war. I don’t know what the winner was planning to do with it. I suspect it was just a new toy on their beach and they were having fun. I got to watch them for quite a while until something distracted them and they dropped the shirt, scrambling away together on some new adventure.
Even though I lost my backpack and gear, I still have fond memories of that trip, all because of those otters. Watching the otters on my beach brought back those fond memories.
After a lifetime of chasing after dreams, and catching a few, it is interesting to consider that one of my favourite pastimes in my later years is sitting on a bench that I built with my own hands, from salvaged materials, and contemplating the natural world.
The tide comes in and the tide goes out. And sometimes it brings interesting things floating by.
The sun rises and sets.
The moon waxes and wanes.
The birds sing and chirp.
The otter's splash and play, are interrupted by an occasional feeding on crabs and fish that live in abundance just off the shore.
And I get to sit and enjoy the show. Aren’t I the most fortunate of people to have learned to appreciate these simple cycles?
Thank you for sharing them with me.
Here are some articles by writers who inspired me to write this piece. If you enjoyed my article, perhaps you will also enjoy theirs.
Marie A. Rebelle wrote a lovely article that talks about her love of sitting on random benches when she finds them:
Dr. Preeti Singh’s beautiful article provided the inspiration for me to share my love of the ocean:
Lucia Landini asks the question “How do you feel when you go to the seaside?”
Here are a couple of my articles that also touch on the joy of being by the sea:
If you enjoyed these articles, please remember to let the authors know. We who sit alone and write can always use encouragement.
Thank you for spending your time with me.
I wish you well!
