Day 50: A Day at the Beach...I can see for miles and miles

I cannot think of any place healthier to be on a summer day than the beach (or any other day for that matter).  The sun, the surf, and the people are all extremely entertaining. At the beach, there are no obvious visual boundaries with the exception of where the water meets the shore and I think that people sense this natural openness and place for exploration and self expression.

When we arrive, we tend to set up our boundaries (and limit the expansiveness of the environment), with chairs, blankets, and coolers.  Some people even draw visible lines around their encampment showing others that this space is taken.  But some people have no sense of boundaries and the mixing of these two types of people results in some chaos and a lot of humor.

Land boundaries have existed with humans since we first walked the earth.  We have always built safety nets around our homes whether they be temporary or permanent settings.  Some people are more exact in their approaches and others are more lax.

You can distinguish the differences between these two types of people sometimes by the bathing suits they wear (which really reveal a lot about your human condition inside and out).  I am sure you have seen bathing suits that don’t really suit their owners’ needs (or the observers).  Their boundaries are, I would say, not clear as they share more of their bodies with the surrounding folks than we would care to see.  In a way, I admire these people, especially the women. Men have a tendency to see their bodies differently than women and imagine themselves as more “studly” than they actually are and never seem to worry about their “look” in a semi nude setting.

Women are mostly prisoners of their bodies and the noise deafening media that dictates our boundaries, which is unfortunate, and I admire women who are no longer prisoners even if it means that they might be a bit “unsightly” to others on the beach.

You’ve seen these women, flaunting their comfort in our faces.  In some cases, I hear myself thinking that I didn’t know they made bikinis that large…and immediately regret thinking that at all.  Who says you have to wear a specific size to accommodate your extra flesh?  Is it really that threatening for plus sized women who feel sexy enough to celebrate their size?

I am lucky enough to have a body, mostly in shape because I run 5 days a week yet I do not have the “courage” to wear what they wear. Someday, I hope I’ll be free enough from my parochial views to wear more than a tank suit yet nothing too revealing I assure you.

As we continue to explore who we are and aren’t on a daily basis, I see how carefully crafted our egos are and how sensitive and fragile they remain regardless of our age. Someday, I hope to overcome the sensitivities that are useless to my life or may in fact hinder my personal progress. Until then, I will recognize the boundaries of the beach and enjoy those who don’t…