Beach combing

Got back last night from a quick trip to Cocoa Beach, FL for a meeting. Given the deep freeze we're experiencing in the midwest, it was nice to thaw out a little. The best part of the trip for me was the chance to walk on the beach. A few observations from my two hour noontime stroll.

Eternal optimism does exist: These are the guys (they were all men) who walk the tide line with their metal detectors. With their sieve-like scoops, many pounds of gear, sound enhancing earphones, and saucer tipped pole, they tread and retread the retreating shoreline looking for a buried treasure. Not once did I see one of them get a hit. But they keep on. That looks to me a lot like optimism.

Beauty and power are rejuvenating: The power of the surf and the beauty where the ocean meets land refresh my soul. There's something about the rhythm of the tide that is reassuring; like any good rhythm it has both an emotional impact and a physical influence: it changes the way we breathe and the rate the heart beats. But the tide is also so powerful that it restores perspective: nothing in life can be as big as the sea, or as powerful as the God of the seas.

It pays to ask: After arriving at the airport early, really early, I enjoyed a leisurely dinner and headed to my departure gate. There was an earlier flight on the same route that was preparing to depart. I asked, and they put me on the earlier flight, getting me home over two hours earlier. A little luck, a point of grace, either way very nice!

Warm, sunny places in January is a good idea.