Neptunalia

The beach.

Something about those two words stirs in us something different. Something that's both excited and relaxed; it's unlike any other place, really. It means something different for each person, and yet is a common denominator in the way it makes us feel younger, happier and at peace. All of this, of course, depends largely upon where you choose to visit the shoreline.

Some choose to make a day visit to crowded, tourist-ridden areas where children play in the shallows and adults fraternize in the surf. Towels spot the sand like a near-completed abstract puzzle, containing colors, patterns and occasionally, a picture of Elvis. The noise of hundreds of cheerful voices fill the air, along with the cacophony of reggae, ska and, at times, country music.

Then, there are those who decide to attend the coast with a select few of their closest friends, renting a beach house for a modest fare. These can be found lounging around the porch, on that same consistent spot on the beach or dining at a local gem of a dive many have yet to experience. Typically, they strive to choose the less-crowded areas of the beach, though the company of others is a welcome sight as they travel from the house to the sand.

There are others, still, who prefer the shore for it's highest calling: an isolated strip that serves as the antidote to the pangs that accompany the everyday ailments of life. A place of calm and of comfort. Of familiarity, even if it's the first time. The shore begs for, almost requires, introspection and deep thought. Standing in the sands that have been beaten around in the ocean for millenia and finally found a resting place, one can stare out into the vast plains of water and wonder who might be doing the same on an opposing shore. In truth, although language, currencies and cultures may be different, every soul yearns for the ocean. They just may not know it yet.

And so we stare, and wonder.


- Mike


Temazcal - Monsters of Folk