Scenery is beautiful. Loads of people love to look at mountain scenery. They love to look at the mountains with the fresh air a bit of white capped snow at times, or a lot of snow depending on the time of year. When it is cloudy and overcast the mountains cast a shadow and cause contrast to the overcast. When it is bright and sun shining outside the mountains have a beautiful depth and magnificent color. I know people who can just sit out and watch and stare and enjoy the beauty of the mountains for a seamless endless amount of time.

To truly get an extra sucker punch in on the viewer, throw a sunset behind the mountains and you have almost quite literally set off all of the fireworks in the world in a three hour fireworks display. And your viewer will not leave their spot.

Then there is me. I cannot sit and stare at the scenery. I cannot watch the comings and goings of critters. I cannot hike around the mountains and “rough it” for any amount of time. People who camp refer to my style of camping as “glamping.” I’ve tried to sit down and stare at the mountains and enjoy the scenery by myself. I cannot do it. Not in the sense of, I cannot overcome the mental block and I will not try. More in the sense of, I have tried on multiple occasions and approximately 45minutes in, I am squirming. I am almost dying to get up and go do something else. My skin is almost crawling and I cannot sit still for the life of me. I have a hard time quieting my brain. I have a hard time focusing on the scenery.

Now, lets take this same scenario and setting me in front of the ocean. I can and have sat in front of the ocean for hours on end. I would literally have nothing going on around me. I can sit there, alone, without any sort of technology or anything for hours. The beauty of the ocean engulfs me. The power of the ocean draws me in. The waves and the dynamic existence of the salt water completely immerses me in its glory.

And a good sunset over mountains, though awesome, will only send up a strong signal flare or an M80 for me. Whereas a sunset over the ocean and I am enthralled like kid watching every firework ever set off.

For me, watching the ocean is an opportunity to reflect and meditate on life. It is an opportunity to almost listen to the very fabric of life sing its song. Every time a wave laps on the shore is a new chorus, the seagulls are lead vocalists, and the fish are the drummer splashing and coloring the jazz ballad.

Where is your space to go and reflect on life? When was the last time you were there? When will you be going again?

Reflecting,

–JT