Catching the Wave -from the 13th Floor

I often wonder why I love Virginia Beach so much. I believe it's because the energy here is so exhilarating and uplifting. It's a place where people come, not only to observe the beauty of the sea, the sand, the sky, but to intentionally interact with them.From my condo on the 13 th floor I have a unique vantage point on this lovely little microcosm. There is life unfolding everywhere and every minute. There are young people, old people, children clutching sand buckets, fisherman and surfers, cyclers and skaters, fog horns and boats of all shapes and sizes. The sights and sounds are dazzling and delightful. It's LIFE and we all need to be caught up in it, whether at Virginia Beach or in wonderful, little microcosms of our own choosing.

Beneath my window the surfers have gathered once again and the morning ritual begins. Good weather, bad weather, they gravitate to the ocean, much like the salmon which spawn upstream. In their shiny, black wet suits they paddle out on their surfboards to await the perfect moment and the perfect wave.

Patiently, silently they wait and wait some more. The silence borders on a sort-of surreal reverence. Then it appears- the wave, the perfect one they had hoped for-they clammer one by one to their feet, balancing upon their boards(even if only for a few moments), they glide magically upon the surface of the water. Truly, they are a perfect example of man in harmony with nature, a literal "going with the flow". Total immersion in an experience-how joyful.

The view from the 13th floor gets better still! Off to the left of the surfers by only a few yards, I see movement upon the surface of the ocean, and yes I see it again. I grab my binoculars to confirm the sighting of dolphins, a whole school of them. Black and shiny, they too, are performing their own little rituals of joy. I'm not sure if they are aware of the surfers or if the surfers are aware of them, but, for me, a strange parallel seems to exist here.

The people on the beach are involved in their own activities and don't seem to see the dedicated surfers or the wondrous dolphins (even though they are quite close to shore), but from the 13th floor the perspective is much more encompassing.

We do this in our own lives, don't we? How often do we fail to see the whole picture because we're so engrossed with ourselves and our limited environment and limited vision. Like mice in a maze, we can't find our way because we can only see what is just in front of us, but if we could look down from above, a higher perspective, how easy it all would be. It's my hope that we all catch the wave, take it from me, it's so much easier with a 13th floor perspective.