Sunday was a sunny day, and should have stayed that way.
But black tires raced across white sand, and the rescuer’s flashing lights were ominous so early in the morning, it was just after eight.
Our presence on Earth is so beautiful, yet so tenuous. The loss of life on any day is dreadful. But in stark relief against bright sun, blue skies and life gliding over splashing foam, makes it far uglier.
Sunday morning the sea was rough with riptides as an oystercatcher greeted me. We were alive amidst the surf, this creature and me, we shared the sweet salt air:
Green parenthesis appeared in the west…
…moved closer…
… then crossed in the blue:
A kiteboarder flew across the sea stage, with me—front row center.
The aquanaut exploded into salty wind.
It pulled him bounding through the troughs.
Life was good for this wind and sea lover,
life was pulling against the wind, life was soaring skyward…
…and crashing down in a spray of white.
Life was flipping over a jetty…
…and being airborne with airborne life.
Soon the lifeguard came on duty. They call her—Liv. Great name for a lifeguard.
Lifeguard Lieutenant, Ed arrived.
But the green swim flag came down—and the red went up.
The flashing lights speeding through the sand had lost the race for life.
The sea broke that tenuous link in a 31-year-old man— his breath, lost to the sea.
And just three days prior, another, just eighteen, breathed the brine—where only air should go.
To keep a day sunny, to be with blue skies, to be with loved ones eyes;
please stay off jettys,
please wait for lifeguards.
Please stay alive.
Be well,
Leebyhesea
Categories: staying alive, Uncategorized
leebythesea 
Yes, so sad. Monroe? Great place to live in Long Beach, a popular beach.
Enjoy it, Alice.
Be well,
Lee
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Beautiful, Lee! Thank you! I live on Monroe and heard the sirens. So sad.
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James, thank you so much for your kind words.
Be well,
Lee
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Lynn,
Thank you. You sound like a lifeguard. Great response. Respect for the ocean caught my eye. It supports all the other warnings, If you respect the ocean you’ll stay off the jetties, you’ll swim only when lifeguards are on duty, and you’ll swim with a buddy.
I thought I had respect for the ocean, but many years ago, after an intense struggle to return to shore, in my pre-work, pre-lifeguard, hours, swimming alone, I gained a new respect for it—and those rules. I was totally exhausted nearing the shore. When my feet finally touched sand, I was so grateful to be given another chance at life.
Maybe some of the readers of my post and your response won’t have to go through a near-death experience to gain that much needed—respect.
Thank you so much for your valuable and concise advice.
Be well,
Lee
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Beautifully said. People MUST respect the ocean … she is unpredictable and you MUST be cautious. Stay off the jetties… swim ONLY when lifeguards are on duty… ALWAYS swim with a buddy…
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Another very nice article, thanks Lee
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
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