Life on the Edge

"I want to bathe myself in the waters of Roaring Beach. I want to slip into the softness of forgiveness; to cleanse my soul of the pain and anger that comes after days of listening to chain saws rip into the trees on a nearby hill. I want to float in the arms of the ocean. I want to be embraced and loved and told, once again, by the wet kiss of a wave breaking over me, that I am beautiful; that the puffy clouds about to give up themselves onto this valley are beautiful; that the curvaceous dunes clothed in maram grass soon to receive this gift of rain are beautiful; that this very valley whose small creek empties into Roaring Beach is and always will remain beautiful no matter who or what tries to alter its face." The above is a personal journal entry written when I first began the six month ritual of going into the water at Roaring Beach everyday no matter what the weather or the conditions of the surf. It commenced of October 6 and will end on the first year anniversary of the lighting of the Peace Fire. Yesterday was the 100th day in a row of putting on the wet suit and flippers and walking into whatever wanted to greet me. The discipline has been a good teacher. The flush of salt water through my system has sustained me. The photo was taken on day 99 when the surf was particularly good. A tiny surfer can be seen in the upper left hand corner.