The Church of Poseidon

Inspirational song: I Wanna Be a Lifeguard (Blotto)

Like a neglected lover, the ocean gave me a chilly reception when I waded in for the first time this year. The water was quite brisk, cool enough to make my lungs contract, and waves kept trying to push me back as I followed my fellow Poseidon-worshipers. I persevered, eventually catching up to my friends on a sandbar, and slowly the sea forgave me, allowing us all to float and frolic in the waves. I never had a good relationship with the ocean before we moved here. I didn't spend much time in murky water growing up, mostly by choice. I didn't swim in lakes in Oklahoma because I was terrified of what lived in them. When my children were small, going to a beach meant hours of stress, afraid they would be swept out in the ocean currents, out of my protection. I hated going. So when we moved here two years ago, no one was more surprised than I when I made peace with the ocean. I found myself reluctant to leave the water while the rest of my Bonfire friends socialized on the beach, and my man spent hours with a shovel, digging trenches and moats around sand castles, and being good-natured when our friends teased him over his laborious entertainments. As the tide went out today, I found a shovel washed up on some rocks. It felt like my man had been with us, in spirit.

The beaches here are heavily populated. The whole area is a top tourist destination, and trying to get a parking spot at the edge of America is a challenge in itself. So we all learned early on that the best time to go is early in the morning on Sundays. We have our fun, get all the sun and water we want, and as we leave, we shake our heads at the miles of cars in stop and go traffic, all trying to get to the same beach. We started referring to it as "going to church," and after two years, our other friends still don't understand. What better place is there to be in touch with the vastness of the universe, of the power that some call god, than in a place like this? From the tiny shelled sea life to the waters that stretch out farther than any of us could travel under our own power, it is magnificent. It is centering, and it is the true meaning of awesome. 

Several of us threatened to get tattoos of Poseidon last year, and I really thought about getting something small, like a trident. As far as I know, none of us has done it. But if the rest of the season is as life-affirming as today, maybe I will do it. I promise to put up a photo if I do.