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Sunday, August 26, 2001

See Life

Sunday early evening, there's a strange haze meandering through the streets. There is no sky. I drive west until I find water, and park at the head of the stairs leading down. The warm ocean steams like a sauna, and a gentle breeze turns it into a cool fog wandering east. I put on my wet suit and trot down the stairs to the grey, deserted beach. The water is much warmer than the air. There still is no sky, let alone a sun.

I paddle out, and the waves start coming. Mediocre at first, but improving steadily. A pod of dolphins passes by, two surface less than five yards from me. Half a minute later, one jumps a wave, clearing the water entirely. I remember I'm surfing and start looking for waves again. The water is glassy, and the waves just keep getting bigger. There's hardly anyone out. I catch one long ride almost to shore, and find myself staring at a seal. Ninety degrees off, a girl with a perfect body trots into the water with her surf board. I can't decide which one to look at.

I paddle back out, the waves just keep getting bigger. The girl is wearing a long-sleeve top and basically a G-string bottom. She's with a GQ-ish guy with steel grey eyes and hair that stays mysteriously spiked even in the water. She has a tattoo of a sun on the small of her back. Why does everybody do that now? I ask her if there's some significance to it; she says no, it's just something she drew. I give her a superficial smile of acknowledgement and ponder the subversive psychology of fads.

The haze eventually turns maybe a shade darker. It's the only hint that any time has passed. Soon it will be dark; I take a wave to shore, hop off onto the pebbles and sand, and wrap my leash around my board. Sometimes the stairs up seem more difficult from the fatigue, but today my legs seem spring loaded and I practically fly off the top. I drive home, take a long, warm shower, and here I am.

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