The Beach Experience

I debated for a few days on whether or not I was going to do this week’s blog on the subject that I wanted or to choose another subject, but I talked with a few others that shared my point of view so I decided to go ahead and write about the subject I wanted to. I have had about six days to reflect on the subject and my feelings on it. I have to say from the start that I do not hate children; I would just like the choice of when I am exposed to them.

When I was little, my mother use to read me a book called “Summerfolk” by Doris Burn. I loved her stories and reflect on them from time to time. It was a good story for a child living in a tourist town, I understood from it that there are all kinds of different people and we all have different values, also that we can find like minds if we choose to. One of the lines in the book that seems to pop into my head when sitting on the nice tranquil beach that out of nowhere has become crowded and very noisy is

The summerfolk set up big umbrellas on the beach. The dropped peanut butter jelly sandwiches in the sand, and all in all did an unnecessary amount of hooting and hollering. Worse yet they raced about in fancy boats that were very fast and went Scree---

“Thick as sand fleas and twice as pesky” mutter Joe Potts “Summerfolk” muttered Willy.

We all are different and we all think, act and behave differently than each other. I like to go to the beach to enjoy mother nature, Mother Mary (who is said to be in every drop of the ocean/ Stilla Maris), the salt water and air, a good book, a great mediation, and of course the sunshine. Occasionally I am lucky enough to enjoy all this with a friend or two. I go to the beach as early as I possibly can, I am not a morning person but I like the tranquil part of the beach and know that to fully enjoy and experience this I need to get there around 6:30 or 7:00am. I know this and I accept this and I make the effort and choice to rise up and get there at that time. I also know that I appreciate the tranquil quality of the beach and will walk some distance away from where the crowds congregate with mass amounts of children.

Now my issue and/or problem is that no matter how far I walk or how much empty space there is on the beach someone with 5+ kids plops themselves down right next to me and destroys my tranquil experience. Why an adult with 5+ kids thinks that it is okay to sit down next to a person all alone reading is quite beyond me! One day this woman did this and there was literally miles of space and beach on either side of me for her to go but she chose to sit a surfboard distance away from me and on top of that she never spoke to her kids when they were yelling or coming within inches of my head with a foam noodle! Plain Rude in my book! They have a right to be on the beach….just as much right as I do, but please I was there first and I have a right to enjoy my day just as much as they Do! But due to their lack of morals, etiquette, and common sense and courtesy I was unable to enjoy my day and was forced to pack my things and move. Which in my book I should not have had to do. When this woman crawled over the rocks she should have looked at who was sitting on the beach and observed that they were alone and quietly reading and then chose to walk down the beach to where there was no one and that way we all would have enjoyed our experience and day. Where has all the thinking of others gone in this world? Common sense? Common courtesy? Plain laziness if you ask me!

Now do not get me wrong, I raised two boys and plenty of times I took them to the beach, but I sat where there were plenty of other kids and made sure I set my things down where there was no one we would bother. I also kept a handle on my kids and made sure that they did not yell and were not bothering anyone around them. I brought my children up to value others feelings and their space and to think before acting or doing something that my bother someone around them. Another pet peeve is when people play catch right near you, I almost got eh ball in the face once, and that really ruined my day. Come on! Think people, is it really wise to throw a hard small ball in the direction of someone sitting there minding their own business trying to enjoy their day??

My latest experience was a classic one! About 5 women plop their chairs about the distance of an SUV and half away from me, low tide, plenty of beach on either side of me. Together they have about 13+ kids of various ages. For those that may not realize this sound carries on the beach. The mothers were Yelling to the kids, the kids were yelling to their mothers, the kids were screaming at each other…..Really! Hello! I am I Invisible? Or is it just that our society does not give a damn about each other or their experiences or feelings?? One of the mothers then proceeds to scream to each and every kid and adult with her “KAREN DID YOU PUT SUNSCREEN ON? TED HOW ABOUT YOU DID YOU PUT SUNSCREEN ON? HEY CAROL WHAT ARE YOU DOING DID YOU OUT ON ANY SUNSCREEN? I HAVE SUNSCREEN! YOU ALL NEED TO PUT IT ON! TED, GO GET FRED AND TELL HIM HE NEEDS TO PUT SUNSCREEN ON!” This went on for an hour….no lie! Really….did you have to destroy my peace….my meditation? Please put your sunscreen on prior to getting in the car to go to the beach if it means that much to you! Why do these people choose to sit down so close to a person all alone who seems to be reading or enjoying the quiet peace of the beach?

Like I said we all are different and we all think, act and behave differently than each other. But that is no excuse to treat others badly or not take a strangers feelings into consideration. So many times I see mothers tell their kids to go play far away from them so they can have some peace, but Hello, you are being inconsiderate to those that your children are near and bothering their peace! Not only that I have observed mothers clearly seeing their kids being rude to other adult on the beach and they do not tell them not to or even correct their behavior. So sad, that these kids are not being taught to respect others, our beach and nature!

We all have choices in life and in every day, I choose to go to the beach early and leave early to avoid as much inconsiderate behavior as I can. I also choose to go to certain restaurants knowing that there will not be many if any children. If I choose a restraunt where there will be children It is my choice and I am prepared to deal with it. I just wish that there was a NO Children section to the beach! I am unable to take my dog past a certain point and I consider them my children but I have to leave them home. All I am saying is that there should be a certain mid-way section that is designated to adults only, so that we All can enjoy our beach experience…….either that or possible parents she be more understanding of other adults looking for a quieter experience and show them some respect and common courtesy.

Again I do not hate children and I hope that my aggravation did not come across that way. Children can be such great positive energy and a joy to be around, I just want the choice to choose to be next to them or not.

Love, Light & Peace!

Namaste!