The News Tribune logo

Friday, May 2, 2008

Rock & Ramble

Ooh-la, sometimes I feel like I’m a week behind myself, in what I have to get done, inside a schedule somehow blurred at both ends. Sometimes I feel like there will be no end to “politics as usual” and sad at how easily we seem divided. This is when I know it’s time to let myself catch-up and listen for the REAL news. This is when I head for a beach walk, forever the shore bird with an air of expectancy. I will find what I need there.

Dressing for the mizzle, I put a few light layers underneath a good, thick hoody. I slipped a Hershey bar in the pocket (we Brits don’t go on adventures without chocolate!) and headed just down the road to Joemma Park. Timing was good, with the tide a fair ways out.

Kim was right; the beach was a treasure-trove of driftwood dragons and their stone eggs. The water was gentle, reflecting silver of the sky, and the islands were half hidden in the dripping mist. A soft breeze blew out the daily chatter from my brain and light raindrops washed the tension from my face. When I felt I’d been quieted and cleansed, I was ready for a little mossback magic and began searching for the rock that would tell me a real story.

It never seems to take long for one to pull on my eyes and ears, reaching up for me…and there it was, a funny little chap who jumped in my hand. I slowly rolled it around in my palm, noticing how it was made up of many different types of stone.

Yes (the story began) I am one and I am many. Delight in the difference but hold together, strong. Splintered, how easy to wear down to piles of shifting sand, only temporary and uneasy ground. Together we are unique, complete, one and many. Don’t ask for change…change. Change to unify and become the rock on which your future can stand.

I let the truth of that story soak in with the salty air and the sweet chocolate, slipping the rock into my pocket to come home with me…and tell me the story again and again.

3 comments:

Stephanie Frieze said...

A walk on the beach and rocks, too! Divine, Lorraine. We love rocks at our house and my husband even has a polishing machine that we ought to get busy and fire up again. We will have to make a trip out your way. Thank you for including us in your walk. Mayhap we can get you to a sandy shore and look for some sand dollars!

Kim Thompson said...

What a wonderful treasure. But, the biggest treasure is your walk and time spent on Joemma itself, your reflections, and your freedom. Brilliant!

As far as sand dollars go, Penrose had a slew of them when the kids and I went. However, they were still living! It was cool to see them. We did find a good deal of shells. We didn't really look at rocks much, though I suspect there are some very interesting ones.

Lorraine Hart said...

Too bad we can't use the sand dollars in this economy.

The stories the natural world tells me, when I remember to stop the chatter of the world we've made up, are always a treasure.