Things I've learned while at the Beach...

...I always find it interesting how the ins and outs of life slow to a crawl during visits to those enchanting, southern beach towns, both along the Gulf Coast, and the Atlantic seaboard.  

Those citizens who've managed to figure out a comfortable way of life along either coast, have also discovered the secret to an enjoyable life, even if it is a bit behind the times...which is not necessarily a bad thing.  

One can still rent VHS tapes at the local movie store.  Wifi is often accessible in the town coffee shop, or occasionally on the upper deck of one's rental, as the tide permits.  But only then.

Volkswagon vans still troll along Highway 17, rust free since 1963.  

When it rains on the coast, it really does pour, fearfully so.  And within minutes, the clouds move on, the sun returns, and all's well once again ;)

Something I'm curious about...the demand for local reading material along either side of the coast remains high, and not so much of the electronic variety.  Book stores in southern Florida and the Carolinas are a hot spot, their shelves stocked with actual books, some used, others hot off the press, smelling of ink, and bindings that creak when opened for the first time.  Lord, how I've missed that sound.  

Local writers are held in high regard, showing up at indie book stores for an afternoon signing and a cocktail, or three.  

Everything slows to an idle pace, where tourists are not only welcomed, but anticipated.  Smiles are addictive, which lead to glorious relaxation, forgetting those irritable to-do lists left miles behind, but waiting.

I realized how fun it is to shark fish in the Gulf...no worries, it was catch and release ;)

In spending a week with the kids, I learned during one rainy afternoon that Robin is no longer Bat Man's trusty sidekick, but is now a relatively tough dude on Teen Titans, having left the Dark Knight in the dust...(at least on Nickelodeon.) 

My wife and I realized that our youngest member of the family, the little boy we hope to soon adopt, not only loves the water, but is fearless of those choppy waves.  Swimming lessons are on the docket.  

And while relaxing, I had time to think.  To dream.  To create.  

An idea took shape, one that tickled my fancy during last year's vacation to the Carolina coast, and returned with a vengeance.  Something brewing over the past months that  I considered an interesting thought to remember, has now moved to the top of my list of projects, a story that demands attention.  

I call him "Ollie."  Last year he was just an interesting character.  He's now become a very special boy.  A foster child buried in the system, struggling for peace, when he discovers a gift that he's been granted.  Perhaps born with.  One that will change everything.  Everything...

I adore those coastal waters and the many gifts they offer.  Those of peace, and those of opportunity. 

Thanks for reading ;)

El