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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Who Else Qualifies for Beach Addicts Anonymous?


It’s no secret. I have what friends have described as a limitless passion for the beach.
In my world—unless there is visible lightening (thunder in the distance doesn’t count) or wind whipping the sand into stabbing needles—there is no such thing as a day that is too anything—hot, humid, damp, cloudy, crowded, buggy, downright cold—to be on the beach.
More than once, Jim’s sister Margie and I have been the lone hanger-oners, prodded by a lifeguard to get our butts out of our beach chairs and take cover when ominous clouds turned the sky 50 shades of gray.
I don’t know where my beach addiction comes from. Could it be that because up to 60% of the human body is made of water, the ocean feels like family?
Here we are in the midst of a heat wave that has people hiding inside, sticking their heads in the freezer, and moving their chairs closer to their air-conditioning vents. Meanwhile, I’m packing my beach bag. It might be 100̊outside, but I’m banking on a sea breeze. Besides, it’s my day off. For me, beach time on EVERY day off is practically non-negotiable.
Mark Twain said, “Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.” Could I be in denial about my obsession with de-ocean?
Maybe we need a 12 Step program—Beach Addicts Anonymous—for beach fanatics like me.
Step 1 - Admitted we were powerless over the ocean—that a beach-less life was unimaginable
Step 2 - Came to believe that only the beach could restore us to sanity
Step 3 – Made a decision to turn our beach chairs in the direction of the sun
Step 4 – Made a searching and fearless beach bag inventory.
Step 5 – Well, you get the idea. Am I on to something here?
Am I seriously the only one who thinks loving the beach more than chocolate is undeniably normal?

15 comments:

  1. Hi Carol- I love the beach, but I can't say I love it more than chocolate!

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  2. Funny post! There are far worse things to be addicted to than the the beach :) I say feed that addiction!

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    1. Thanks Jacquie, already thinking about going there right from work today to catch an hour before dinner.

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  3. I don't sun. I walk. I listen. I smell. I feel. Then I tsste the dark chocolate fudge ;)

    The beach is magical for me. It is renewing. It is a bit of heaven on earth no matter the season.

    I understand.

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    1. Magical is the perfect word to describe it. Carol

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  4. The beach seems to tell a story without words. You sit in the sand and look at the ocean and can imagine history -- Columbus and Magellan, great sailing battles, submarines down under and the like. Then there's the natural history -- sharks (yikes), whales, sea horses, dolphins, and things we cannot even know. The sound is amazing too, never ending, comforting, repetition of waves... almost like a heartbeat. And the feeling of riding a wave all the way to the shore -- I'm a kid again. I don't spend a lot of time there, but when I do, it's like coming home.

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    1. It is like home--Jim calls it our backyard carol

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  5. AnonymousJuly 30, 2013

    The beach is magical. Only 2 things could make the NJ beaches better... clear blue water and allowing me to share my beach time with my dog. Have not been in the ocean in NJ since I experience swimming in the clear waters of the south.

    Julie V

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    1. Julie, agree clear water would be a plus. I brave our opaque brew. I guess after 16 years, I'm a Jersey girl!

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  6. The beach and ocean in Hilton Head are my spiritual "home." But no 12 step BGA (Beach Goer's Anonymous) group for me. I don't want to recover from my beach addiction. We're actually building a new home closer to the beach in Hilton Head. I'll be able to walk or bike to the beach and not have to drive. The sand in South Carolina is very hard at low tide, so riding a bike on the beach there is as therapeutic as sitting or walking.

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  7. All the best with your new beach house.
    I hear you, I don't want to recover either. Carol

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  8. Carol - I thought I loved the beach, and then went this summer with my sister and her family. They had a beach cart, beach chairs with straps so you could carry them like backpacks, and other gadgets that showed they were true pros. But it was still fun to go with our sandy towels. Thanks for great post..

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    1. Jasmine, I always loved the beach, even back in the day when I sat on a towel. But, I became an addict years ago when I discovered the perfect beach chair canvas, a few inches off the sand, 5 positions to recline. Ah, heaven!

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  9. I 'm a beach addict too! In Miami, FL from late March to early April, the skies are soft blue, and the water, clear and calm - no rip currents.I' m talking insanely gorgeous weather, and on crowded weekends people (from all walks of life, all over the world) flock the beaches - and there is this weird feeling of oneness with nature,this vast phenomenon around of you.For now I head the pools every weekend- just to relax.Its for life!

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    1. Hi, thanks for stopping by. We also have a favorite Florida beach on the gulf and I totally agree about the beautiful Florida weather in March. Reminds me of our September in Cape May and my addicted bones long for it.

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