Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Dancing with Palm Trees

The wind is blowing hard off the ocean kicking up the sand and sending it down the paved streets. Sand snakes is what Chelsea used to call them when she was a little girl and that's what they look like ... white snakes slithering down the road and biting your legs if you happen to stand in their way.

I point it out to the girls and they sleepily ignore me until a huge burst of sand blows against the windshield sprinkled with salt water.

"Whoa!" they exclaim.

I'm not certain where this wind came from. The past several days have been perfect Beach Weather ... clothing's been optional if necessary at all. It's all good until ... cold winds blow driving me under the covers and in search of long sleeve shirts.

"Where did this come from," I ask out loud?

I don't like it at all.

I can relate though.

For decades I was rocking-and-rolling along, doing everything mostly right, having a good time, surfing in perfection ... until the winds changed and knocked me off my board leaving me heals over head under the water.

It's life though. Most of the time it's all good until those days come ... when the wind is hard and cold leaving you breathless and tired.

Staring at the stack of papers on my kitchen table, I see all of the things I need to do today. They're the same things I didn't do yesterday. There's a list of names and phone numbers that I must call at some point though it's nobody I really want to talk to. I shutter to open the emails that I know have grown since the last time I ignored them.

Looking at my hands, I see how tan I am. Green Palm trees dance outside of the window. Yellow sunshine falls and I can't help but see the contrast. The Sounds of Silence plays on the computer. Sarah sleeps. I wonder about the wind.

The sun promises better days again.

The cold wind challenges that.

Walking outside, I believe in the sun and let the sand snakes hit me.

"Give me your best shot," I say out loud. "I've had worst."

Then the Palm Tree and I dance.

Silence replaced with birds singing in defiance of the wind.