Sea Glass
SEAGLASS
It’s amazing how often you can learn from the world around you if you simply take the time to sit and contemplate. I’ve been reading the Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac (my favorite author) over the past few days and already it’s taught me an invaluable lesson: That sometimes just thinking is the best thing you can do. I was walking along the beach and the weather was glorious, it was a hot and sunny early summer day, the water cool and pristine (shocking for Jersey) and thousands of tiny shells were scattered like little jewels on the shoreline. Is that description a tad dramatic? Possibly. But another thing I’ve learned is that the “void” is the same everywhere; I can find beauty in the present regardless of wether I’m in the Caribbean or the Jersey Shore. Anyway, back to my point. As I was lazily strolling along the beach I thought to myself that I needed some luck. Just a little something to give me a little extra help with my life right now. Just something to be there to help things go in my favor a little bit. Not an easy fix, just a helping hand. Still hoping for some positive help I decided to play a little game with God, or the Universe, or my higher power, whoever you want to believe in. This game was based on the fact that I didn’t want my luck for free, I didn’t want something for nothing. The rules of the game were simple, I would stroll the beach and walk around on the rocks and white-washed shards of shell searching for a piece of sea glass, if I was successful in finding some then I would be awarded with a little bit of luck. Silly concept I know, but humor me. I walked about for a little while and realized that sea glass is actually moderately difficult to find. I was about to give up my search when an icy cold wave splashed in and chilled right to the bones of my feet. The tide brought ashore a bunch of sand and rocks and shells that had been tumbled by the sea for God knows how long. I looked down to see what has washed up and had to smile. At the very end of my walk, right before I was about to quit, a tiny, transparent piece of sea glass washed up right in front of my feet. While walking back to my blanket with the glass in my hand I thought about the glass itself and how cool of a concept it really is. The sea glass wasn’t always beautiful, it was most likely jagged broken and frankly, unspectacular.
Then it was tumbled in the sea.
The jagged edges were smoothed through rough tumbling in the sea, and ultimately the glass emerged from its tumble stronger, more complete and more beautiful than when it began. In keeping with the Zen philosophies that I’ve recently become so fond of I contemplated the glass and the lesson that could be learned by it.
This is more or less what I learned. I encourage you to further contemplate and form your own opinions.
God Bless,
With Metta,
Enrique
In a relationship or even just with yourself the hard times are the most trying but also what strengthens you the most. The piece of glass could have fractured under the pressures of the tide but instead it stayed whole and ultimately emerged more beautiful than when it began. I guess the real lesson I learned is not to be afraid of the tide. To hold on tight through the rough, uncertain and trying times because for anything that is worthwhile you have to fight the storm first.
