Come on In, the Water's Fine
Some thoughts on trying again.
I just got back from surfing. Second time this week. Went to the Inlet again and no one else was out. It’s rare to surf there during the day and not see another surfer the entire time, but that was the case this afternoon. Which means the waves were terrible. But like I mentioned yesterday, that’s okay. Because it still feels good to get in the water and it feels good to move my body. After not surfing for months, three times in ten days might officially count as a comeback.
Surfing again. Writing again. I’m glad to be back in touch with these parts of my life. I’m a surfer. I’m a writer. Perhaps you can relate.
Is there something you’ve been wanting to reconnect with? Something that you know would be healthy, something that you know would feel good, but you just haven’t been able to do it? I wonder what’s keeping you. I wonder what might be in the way. What if you stopped waiting for the timing to be perfect? Speaking of perfect, what if you let go of perfection and instead chose showing up? What if you ignored the excuses and instead just did the thing you want to do?
From someone who has been doing a bit of rediscovering lately, I hope you will as well. I hope what you find feels familiar and maybe also new. I hope it feels like freedom and peace and I hope it leads to confidence. Who you are has always been enough. What you love has always mattered. You deserve some things that bring you joy, some things that feel like yours, whether others understand or not. So come on in, the water’s fine.
I’ll leave you with this Gang of Youths lyric, from their song “Persevere,” which is one of my favorites:
“I used to want to be important,
now I just want to be alive
and without fear
You’ve got to persevere”
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I am glad that you are surfing again and making it a priority to find moments of joy. This year has been difficult for me. I have been dealing with pain from autoimmune illness, my close friendships are no longer close, my daughters are starting their teen years and no longer need me like they used to. I am approaching a milestone birthday in the fall and your last two posts have reminded me to find the tiny moments of joy. So today I will be out at the nature reserve. Thank you Jamie. This was the post I needed to read today. Have a good weekend.
I’m so happy for you that you have rediscovered parts of yourself. I know how that feels. I love the lyrics you listed and wholeheartedly agree with them. To the point it kind of slapped me in the face. Sometimes i feel like if i could be “important” in my job (read: higher up and further into a career) then things would magically get better. But at my soul - and especially with my current mental state - i just want to live. Live a life i enjoy and find worth living. Thanks for the song rec.