As I left the beach this morning I smiled at another swimmer who had also just got out.
‘Don’t you feel like a new person?’ she asked.
‘Absolutely!’ I replied. ‘I’m a much nicer person when I’ve been to the beach’
We chatted a little more, and I filled my new friend in on the names of the some of the fish she had seen, and I left smiling.
Back home, I pondered what I’d said though. Maybe it’s sad that I’m not always nice, but I also think it’s worth celebrating when we know what our happy-place is, and we seize opportunities to go there. Because if it makes me happy, makes me feel nicer, then chances are it also benefitting those around me.
And, of course, this generated this poem draft:
The Many Faces of Me
Before I head to the beach
I am cranky-me
Busy-me
Overloaded-with-thoughts-me
When I reach the beach
I am breathe-in-salty-air-me
Rush-to-get-in-water-me
Slightly-awkward-landbound-me
In the water
I am look-at-this-me
Look-at-that-me
Wonder-awe-and-peaceful-me
When home time comes
I am happy-me
content-me
Feel-like-a-new-person-me.
Hope-this-feeling-lasts-me.
(copyright Sally Murphy, 2022)
and this, in turn, generated a further thought – I’m also a nicer person when my creativity is flowing. Any day with a swim and a chance to write is a great day.
If you don’t have the chance to immerse yourself at the beach today, here’s a video from a few weeks ago that might help.
And, when I went looking for that video I remembered this one – made when it was too cold to swim, but when I was happy just to dunk my toes:
I hope you have happy toes. In fact i hope you’re happy all over.
The thing that is going to make me happier today is visiting all my poetry loving friends. It’s Poetry Friday and 0 is hosting 0. I’m off to 0, and you can swim along.
Wonderful, Sally! This captures how I feel after swimming laps at the YMCA, too–and reminds me to resume that habit.
Sally, please excuse the lateness of this response. I had eye surgery and after reading a few posts my eyes tire or I often fall asleep. I did read part of your post last Friday so today, I am here to comment. Of course, I always love your travels to the beach, one of my favorite places. Happy Toes is a wonderful poem so thank your for your joy that you bring to my day.
I love this poem! We sometimes talk about “future-me” being grateful to “past-me” or “present me for doing a thing, but your poem goes so much further than that. It inspires me to think more about the many aspects of me. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Love that seaside You, Sally, and the way I imagine kids would have fun with this as a mentor text. Self-awareness = growth!
Thanks Heidi. I am going to try this as a mentor text.
Love all your hyphenated YOUs! Happy Swimming!
Thank you Mary Lee.
Thanks for sharing the happy you today. So refreshing to read about your wonderful time at the beach. 🙂
Thanks for visiting Jama. I love sharing 🙂
You know I love that you help us get to the ocean, too, Sally. I love that you showed the changes when one gets to their happy place! Yes, “Wonder-awe-and-peaceful-me” now just watching your ‘happy toes’!
And I am happy-you-come-along-me, Linda. It’s always lovely to be able to share 🙂
Love your happy toes! I have a sister who swims and writes daily — and she is definitely a nicer person after getting time to do both of these each day! — and we love her before and after 🙂
I’m sure you do, Patricia. Your sister sounds like a kindred spirit to me 🙂
Thank you, Sally, for the field trip. I love water too and have been thinking about how I want to fit in all of the four elements into each day, even in small ways: a bath, a candle, a walk in the wind. Your poem with its hyphenated words and back and forth nature is wonderful and makes me think about how much fun children would have (and I would have) using it as a mentor. Happy Poetry Friday! xo
Thanks Amy – and i love the idea of using this poem as a mentor text. I might try it next time I run a workshop. And I’d love to hear if you use it, too.
Water makes everything better! Just ask a baby. 🙂 Thanks for your poem, Sally! And I love the happy pic of you too. xo
Oh, I love those happy toes! Yes, we all need a happy place. One of mine is my craft table and I am going there in just a few minutes after I grab some dinner. I can lose hours fiddling around with paper and glue and paint. So much fun! Thanks for your ocean videos. They are fantastic.
Yes, we each need a happy place. I hope you had fun in yours. Thanks for visiting, Linda.
Thanks Irene. It does indeed!
Loved the poem got me smiling too, a breather from trying hard not to be creative in academic writing!
Thanks Lorraine. Glad to give you a breather!