John hears the angry ocean long before he sees it. The dark
sky reveals few stars in the salty mist and the sand dunes hug the boardwalk as
if they are trying to leave the beach. As far as John can see…there is no one
on the boardwalk. He walks north and the outlines of summer fairy tales seem
gray and abandoned. Even the orange and sea foam green sherbert colors of the
beachcomber bar seem hopeless. The Beachcomber’s little green lighthouse, on
the bar’s ocean view, upper deck, guides no one tonight. As he walks further, Spicey
Cantina’s fiesta is deathly silent. He walks over to the edge of the boardwalk
and views a broad, empty beach . A shroud leading up to the unnerving, unknown,
pounding sea. Dressed for a funeral, the ocean is all in black with outlines of
foamy white.
The bench he sits on was donated in loving memory of someone
who had been there in a time when people believed in something more than the
best Black Friday Sale. Is that a footfall, creaking the boards-he glances fast
in either direction. There is no one but a rolling, ghost of the mist crossing
the boardwalk. Feeling chilled and jumpy, John moves on. After all, there are no Life Guards on that
beach. If you go towards the darkness of that ocean…you are on your own. Walking
further north, he sees the fairy tale castle outlines of the casino pier.
Random thoughts: The History Channel makes it seem like
religion is fairy tales. But in a world of ‘it’s all good’…why is there so much
bad? Where the Ten Commandments are seen as telling us who we should be... when we should be
finding ourselves…If everyone is free to find themselves with no guidelines...why are so many feeling lost?
He walks off the boardwalk and past a dry water park that
stretches for a block. Childless, the colorful slides do not scream with
excitement…but howl in the wind. Turning down the boulevard he walks past the
dark bars with the pink palms where people go to find a summer romance or maybe
the one-and into an area with small beach homes. No families gather to catch this ocean breeze.
Up the block, no mass is in session at the church. Not that people don’t
attend church-they do…he does. It’s just that the outside church the world doesn’t seem to
have God in it sometimes. On Twitter...Dave Sterrett made me think with a link to the movie 180.. There’s always pressure to be cool with people-to
share whatever they are into from partying…which often involves drugs- to
seemingly supportive values… rumored mistakes which then lead to discussions of
a woman’s right to choose and not mention what we know a fetus is. We know but
aren’t supposed to say. And sometimes…like tonight…there seems to be no light in
the world…no guidance. Yet we keep moving forward.
The wild oats and tall, dry wildflowers on dunes rustle in
the warmer breeze off Silver Bay. John sits on a bench and looks out over the little
waves which seem to be dancing. Out of the empty void of the sky…the
silver-white moon peaks out. Clouds, outline in sterling, scamper. Sea grasses
sparkle and wave in sea foam greens. The
bay is alive. The stars wink. Across the bay- twinkling lights of family homes
and docks welcome.
On earth there is hope and life…but it comes from the heavens.
John decides being cool with people isn’t as important as being cool with
God. John turns to walk home to his
Aunt’s house…He remembers she is going to actually try to cook us something. God help us.
John laughs.
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john pender jr