Swimming Along With the Tide
And the times that you shouldn't...
Hey Friend!
I hope that you had a great Memorial Day Weekend during the in-between that is hopefully inching toward a “post-pandemic” life for all of us. Reuniting with friends and family feels so good, but I don’t know if I want a complete return to “normalcy” because there were some amazing lessons and new skills that I developed in this time that I believe will make for a new and better normal. So, “new normal” it is for now!
My Memorial Day in the “in-between” was pretty much like my regular weekend, no epic bar-b-que or beach party. Just my usual Saturday and then Sunday shooting the breeze with “Ben,” (from previous newsletter story).
At the beach this Sunday, we sat in seats as near to the edge of the water as we could get on dry sand. In a moment between our conversation topics, a female lifeguard in a blonde braid and red bathing suit jogged into range of our view of the ocean and started to pace back and forth in front of us, her whistle poised at her mouth. She wasn’t exactly frantic, but she was focused and intentional in her actions, appearing to shepherd swimmers away from a particular section of water at the beach.
The hand that wasn’t holding the whistle was holding a deep-flaming-orange rescue floatie, held high in the air. So, of course, I immediately thought…”shark attack.” And when you believe a shark is nearby, even if you’re not even close to being in the water, the next thought is “uh oh” for the people in the water and then a calculation of whether or not the shark can get to where you are. Unless sharks had suddenly grown feet, I was pretty safe.
So my mind went back to the people in the water and whether they were about to meet some version of jaws (or, could be “Jaws,” pun intended). After conferring, Ben and I decided that we should actually be strange and somewhat nosily ask the lifeguard what she was doing.
As she explained, she’d noticed a riptide and was warning people about it. So, no sharks. But, as it turns out, riptides are interesting too and potentially more dangerous.
If you’ve never heard of a riptide (as I had not), it is a current of water that pulls you away from the shoreline. Once you’re caught in one, depending on how strong it is, no matter what you do, even as a strong swimmer, you’ll continue to move backward, rather than the direction you’re looking to head.
This particular lifeguard was so experienced at her job, she could identify the presence of a riptide just by observing the faint white froth sitting delicately at the crest of the water, where one section went in a slightly different direction than the rest. Like a strip of the finest lace, laid on top of the waves rolling in. That strip was the riptide.
Evidently, the most important thing to know about a riptide, other than how to identify one and avoid it all together, is how to know you’re in one and get out of it before you get too tired to make it back to your beachtowel and bar-b-que (or coffee, in my case).
So, in the ocean (or a lake), if you find yourself moving backwards, when you’re putting all your effort into moving forward, the most important action to take is to change your direction to the left or right. Meaning, doing the counter-intuitive thing (not going for the straight and narrow path) just might save your life. Take the diagonal. Yes, it’s the longer way, but it’s the only way forward.
Maybe this is important if you’re at the beach, or maybe, if you’re like me, you’ve found some kind of underlying life lesson to contemplate and to file away for the future.
All I know for sure is that SoCal lifeguards really do wear those red bathing suits that I saw on Baywatch.
What’s Inspiring Me
Bravo Naomi Osaka
What’s My Self-Care Looking Like
Well, I’m taking the plunge and getting my first massage in over a year. They’re going to use hot stones, y’all. I can’t wait. I’ll let you know how it goes in the next newsletter.
What I’m Writing
I know I’m late to the party, but I finally, finally started keeping a journal. I use it for very specific things, which is mainly to vent gratitude and frustrations and to write affirmations, but it’s become very useful. It’s like the best book I’ve ever written that will never be finished (or published). And it’s also the best book I’ve ever read because it’s starting to contain all of my most important life lessons and progress in the pages.
Do you keep a journal? Any tips for a newbie?
What I’m Reading
My little book club selected Beach Read by Emily Henry for this month. I was particularly excited that we did because she’s been such an amazing supporter of BGMDE and I was really looking forward to the group discussion. Now as a writer, I’ve learned to look for the subtle life observations that writers drop into their work, placed neatly in the fabric of the story, usually coming out of the mouth of one of the most unsuspecting characters. I feel like this is reflected in “Beach Read” particularly well. The title is a little bit of a trojan horse as well, as a truly substantive character experience is reflected within the framework of a steamy slow-build romance.
One of the best things about our book club, other than it being a group of longtime friends and our opportunity to get together while apart, is that it’s low pressure. We’re just happy to have a reason to get together and a little bit of encouragement to read more books.
The discussion is tomorrow and I can’t wait to hear what gems were found in within the pages of this much more than just a “beach read.”
What I’m excited About
There is a Goodreads giveway happening right now, for BGMDE!
Giveaway link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/321898-black-girls-must-die-exhausted
The release date has been moved to September 28th, which gives us more time to do more fun and exciting promotions to build up our community and the excitement for this new chapter in our journey. If you’ve been looking for a copy or know someone that is, please spread the word and pass this along.
That’s it for this week. If you know of someone who would love to be a part of this community, please pass this along and let them know that they should subscribe!
xo, Jayne
