Monday, March 14, 2011

Long lonely walks by the beach (LLWBTB)

There are beach walks which you do with kids - the public toilet is not improbably far away, the water is shallow, the surfaces are sandy, and the shore is littered with interesting bits of seaweed and shells.

There are beach walks which you do with friends - a bit like the above, but with plenty of potential bonfire locations and enough towel space for everyone.

There are beach walks which you do with a lover - a bit more remote and less family-friendly, no surf to speak of and preferably free of distracting nudists (which, come to think of it, applies to the kids' beach walk but not so much the friends' beach walk).

And then there are the beach walks you do when loneliness weighs heavily on you and you desperately need to be soothed by the sound of waves lapping against the shore. It doesn't have to be remote (my own LLWBTB is next to 4 lanes of traffic speeding to or from the airport), but it can't be very popular. Because all those people and their chatter get in the way between you and the water sounds. If it's lined by magnificent pieces of public art, then all the better to give you an alternative subject of contemplation.

Even though we might wish we didn't need a good LLWBTB, we should be glad to have one.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good lord - well hope your LLWBTB wasn't too sad? BTW, I'd probably still want to be near a public toilet when going for a walk with a lover - but maybe that's just cause I've got crohns...

Antoinette said...

Always grateful for ambling walks alone. Hope yours was a soul-satisfying one, even if a bit lonely.

jessica said...

The water never ceases to amaze me with its power to soothe and wash away sorrow, loneliness and pain. I hope you were able to find some peace in your walk.

Amanda said...

Gosh you sound pensive, Violet. I hope everything is ok?

Watson Woodworth said...

I've never been a beach walker but woods walking works too.

Violet said...

donnasoowho: you're probably right - nothing would ruin a romantic mood like the need to wee (or worse).

Antoinette: I didn't feel as lonely as I would have if I'd picked the wrong beach;-)

Jessica: yes I did thanks. Nothing soothes like it.

Amanda: The boy and I were going through a short-lived sad time - but it's okay now. And I haven't felt the need to do a LLWBTB for years.

nigel: any sort of walk in nature would help, I guess. Sound-wise, do you find rustling of trees soothing?

Watson Woodworth said...

I do. In the fall there's also the crunchiness.

Violet said...

If there's one thing we don't get here which I wish we did, it's autumn leaves. Most trees 'round here are evergreens, which is a bit boring.