School Papers, for all the world to see!

So since I have to write for class, and being the attention whore I am, I have decided that every paper I have to write for class I will post here. Um, with the exception of my obituary, since I do not want you all to know what a great life I end up having (you will have to just enjoy the ride with me day after day!).

So, paper number one:

A Day at the Beach

I can hear the water, as it crashes to the shore. It sloshes, slurps, slowly gets quiet, only to roar again. It is a warm summer day and I can feel the tepid water as it touches my toes. It is soft and gentle like a pair of cozy slippers. The air is fresh and clean. The warmth of the breeze takes my mind off of the real world and puts me into a trance. I am only in this moment. I can smell and taste the salty air. It rushes through my nose as though each breath is my first. I slowly breathe in and out, enjoying each deep inhale and exhale. The sun is hot on my skin. I can feel it. I welcome it. I am soaking it up. Much like a warm hug on a cold night, it embraces me. I want to live in this here and now forever.

And then it’s over. Like a New York minute. I hear it, the notorious “mom…mom, look”. Life at the beach: with kids. Although my moment is gone, it will return. One of my favorite places in the world is the beach. More importantly, it is the beach by the ocean. It is not any particular beach, any ocean will do. As long as there is sun, sand, water, and a warm breeze; it is my favorite place. Every family vacation includes the beach. Whether for a day or a few days, the beach is always a planned attraction.

It is not just the beach itself. It is also the affect it has. I can hear the giggles, the squeals, the belly laughs. Looking over I see my children building a sand fort. The sand is silky smooth like the back of a cat. It is warm and light. Slowly they add water and it becomes stiff, clay like. They build, they laugh, they are enjoying the beach and all it has to offer. They are artists. They are adventurers. They are athletes.

The water is another entity in its own right. I must have been a sea creature in a former life because I adore the water. Anything tropical or relating to the ocean has me enamored. Feeling the water makes me happy. Actually, it makes me blissful. The gentle lapping of the water as I slowly descend into the clear blue glass, sparkling as each and every individual ray of the sun hits it. It glimmers like a diamond that has just been cleaned. It invites you in like an Italian grandmother who just cooked dinner. You have no choice, you must enter the lair. There is a whole world unbeknownst to humans that lies within the water. When you truly think about it, as fun as it is to play in the water, to swim, splash, float…there is life happening all around you. Life that I am oblivious to. Life that is oblivious to me and my existence.

After a few hours I find myself sitting back on a toasty blanket of sand. A puff of salty air hits me. I am back, back in a new moment. It feels similar to a past state, yet it is completely different. Every sense is now experiencing something new. How long will this moment last? I am not sure, I am never sure, but I will enjoy every second as though it is the only second I will ever have.