An Enlightening Waking Reverie

You've been running, fast, swept ahead by the advancing tide. You ride the wave confidently, exhilaration dripping off your body, basking in this glow of new-found self worth and adulation, starry-eyed in anticipation of what's to come.

The wave crashes against the shore, and you jump off, jubilant at having conquered it. You look ahead at the oncoming swell, tasting the salt on your lips, taking a minute to catch your breath.

The world comes to a temporary pause. It's only you, amongst the wind and the waves, the protagonist on a stage, and a full-house to cheer you on.

You spy, out of the corner of your eye, other actors dipping their toes in, testing the waters, taking advantage of your breather. A warning niggles in the recesses of your mind, yet you look on,  breathing in deep, unfazed, schooling yourself. You deserve the break, need it, infact. A refuel, before you plunge in, charged and raring to go. Why welcome Exhaustion on board?

A blink to squeeze the salt out of your eyes, and before you know it, there are other players who have joined in the fray. Diving headlong into the ocean, conquering waves, getting a taste of your exhilaration, taking a bite of your excitement and sharing in your jubilation; Never mind your uncertainty. Caught unawares, you freeze. As the wind dries up the last few salty drops of the sea on your skin, you clench your toes in the sand bracing against the almost-forgotten, strange sinking sensation in your tummy. Your heart beats a tad faster, and your mind is a-scatter. As you scramble to catch your bearings, you attempt to block the whooping sounds of joy and blind yourself to the excited melee. You turn inward, and ponder, if you erred, in pausing, even just for an instant. Would it cost you what you craved most... the ultimate wave, the king of swells, the crown that put all others to shame? Maybe... Maybe not.

Still looking in. Time for your bitter honesty pill. To be taken with a glass of resigned acceptance-of-the-inevitable. Such is life. There are always going to be other players, brimming with potential, watching from the sidelines, awaiting their turn, may even grab yours! Why embrace the stinging anxiety of lagging behind in this race, in the clutches of which, you hastily jump headlong, forgetting to hold your breath, only to gasp suddenly, devoid of oxygen? No! You decide to don those blinders, set your sights on the coveted wave in the distance, the one you wish to ride, and prepare to dive in.

You take yet another minute, sweep a gaze lazily across the horizon, spot that beautiful monster of a wave, and plunge ahead, energised, hands chopping the waters adroitly, charting your own course, not a care given to the other fish in the sea, as they are urged off their playgrounds right into your drift; And yet, you swim, unflinchingly, unafraid and not entirely ungrateful for the company.

MY LOVE AFFAIR

The forceful touch of the wind against my starved cheeks, the soft sand caressing the tops of my feet, unforgettable was the sound of the waves, and tantalizing, was the smell of the salty sea air.