The quality of sand & What is good in life

Back when I was at DLI, a few friends and I would go on what we called “the walk and talk.” Whenever drama reared its head, one would tell the other let’s walk. For me, this was usually Ryan or Goldy. During these walks along the coastline between Monterey and Pacific Grove, we would hash out whatever was on our minds.

Being an extrovert, I tend to talk to people and try hard to be a good listener. This morning, I was reminded of Monterey because of the waves. But it struck me that I was talking to myself in my head and listening to what I had to say. Over the last two years, I have taken up walking as a fitness routine. I try to get in 5 miles every day, but I enjoy the 10-mile and more excellent days when I have time. This morning, I noticed for the first time that this part of the day has turned into the solo version of the walk and talk for me. I write whole papers in my head during these walks, weighing words and building paragraphs. This morning, as I walked, I mused over two topics—the quality of sand and what is good in life.

The quality of the sand comes from my wife telling me of her first trip to Hawaii. She stayed at the opposite end of the Waikiki and walked barefoot from one end to the other each day. She noted that the sand is different in front of each of the hotels and encouraged me to take that walk myself and see. Here are my findings.

First of all, there is the sand that is filled with rocks. You can walk it all day long, and the stones move very little. It is a battle to go a few steps and has no greater reward for doing it the hard way.

Then, there is the sand that people have already walked in. This sand is chaotic and filled with trodden paths. It pulls at your feet, trying to get you to follow the steps of those who have gone before you.

In front of some hotels, there is sand that has been raked by other people. This process clears away the stones and makes it easy to traverse. It relies on others to make the way easier. It is a light and fluffy sand enjoyable to the toes but no real challenge.

In some places, the ocean has wiped the sand away altogether, and the beach can only be traversed with the help of other people who have erected walkways to keep you on the path. You can no longer feel the sand, but with the help of the bridge, you will get there in the end.

As you get closer to the surf, the sand has been smacked by the ocean and comes away strong and firm. It is cool to the foot and easy to traverse.

Finally, there is the sand in the surf. Pure chaos and distraction look at the pretty water rush around and feel it on your skin. All the while, the sand beneath your feet is eroding till you find you have no grounding.

To sum up, sand. Rocks are hard, and the surf is strong, but all the different sands feel good in one way or another.

The primary musing I had this morning stems from a desire to find a good picture to take. As most of you know, we just moved here one week ago, and I have been posting photos every day. However, due to the response I have been getting from friends, I found that yesterday and today, I went out of my way to find something good to take a picture of. And it made me feel good to do so in spite of what is going on in the world.

But this search also made me ask, “What is good in life?” Conan, the barbarian, knew the answer to this question, though it was posed to him as what is best in life. But his answer does not apply to me or my life. The truth is I do not know the answer, or rather, it is a moving target and could be different every day.

So, I want to support friends who have asked for more pictures and give me a moment of zen each day. I have decided to find and post a picture of something good every day while we are in Hawaii. Since we are in a paradise of nature, these will mostly be pictures or videos of this wonderful planet we live on, but I hope, as I get into this resolution, to branch to a more diverse pallet of people, animals, and actions.

Who knows what I find, but each day, I will be looking for what is good in life.