The Serenity of Seagulls

Try saying that one fast. It’s was a cloudy Christmas day when I took a walk on a cool and misty morning. The journal of this began a week prior but I finished it on December 25. When I got a perfect cameo from a friend I realized why it happened this way.

December 18: The smell of the sea in the city

It was a brisk Saturday morning and as soon as I went outside I breathed in the cool air and it felt like the kind of weather I loved to walk in. It was cloudy and cold and most people in my neighborhood liked to sleep in and snuggle under the warm covers. Me I’m the opposite.

That is when I like to venture out the most. You see it’s a full-circle experience for me because when I started this journey the atmosphere and forecast were the same. When I stepped outside and took that deep breath I felt like I inhaled euphoria.

I was once again excited to take that morning walk that I so look forward to. You know my walk would not be complete without putting my earbuds in and listening to my favorite podcast or audio. This week my pal Daniel from Greece had recorded his latest episode titled just get started.

Immediately I heard the crash of the sea and the sounds of hovering seagulls. His sound was crisp and clear I honestly kept looking up in the sky to see if I saw this loud fowl of the air. It was fully immersive. This isn’t the first time this has happened either.

He recorded his podcast outdoors in the summertime and I heard all of his steps, creatures crawling, the wind blowing, the sea crashing and people walking by saying good morning. In my world I looked up those light gray clouds, smelled cool moisture, and heard the seagulls on his end I didn’t know where his world ended and mine began. It was seamless.

The lighthouse on the beach

My vision of the beach has not been like everyone for a while. Everyone loves to show off their vacation pictures with their feet in the sand. It’s the summertime status symbol. It always reads like hey look at my highlight reel! It’s so much better than yours. Let's take these amazing photos with me in it sipping my pina colada as we all validate our self-importance.

I had a wonderful childhood of beach adventures so that environment doesn’t impress me. I remember building my sandcastles, playing in the shallow water dodging the jellyfish. It was beyond fun and those childhood memories are priceless. As I got older a new vision of a beach filled my mind. I kept envisioning lighthouses on the beach with tall grass blowing in the wind.

It’s something about this image that visually stimulated me. When I was a teenager and I became a better artist. I began to paint and sketch what I saw in my imagination. I never saw a lighthouse in my life but for some reason creating that image gave me peace. When the world before me didn’t edify my soul enough I created my secret place.

Imagine if Bob Ross painted your metaverse environment to dwell in and escape. That’s what I did when I was young. Nothing in my environment was breathtaking so I had to go within and the result would be external artwork. Maybe I created drawings of my future.

I remember about 22 years ago sketching the only painting that I’ve ever sold and it vividly describes the scene I write about. One day I will finally be reunited with the place I belong. Cool windy day, water from the ocean or sea spraying droplets on my clothing. I see a lighthouse in the distance and see and hear seagulls surrounding me. I made it. I’m finally home. It’s been a long time coming.

A wink from the highest

It’s Christmas Day and I decide to take my early walk like I always do. The air and the atmosphere was just like it was when I indulged in our virtual audio reality of last week. I once again felt like I could be walking on a gray and moody day by the water as seagulls engulfed the sky above me.

Everyone was probably still in their matching Christmas pajamas as I trekked on my familiar path on this dismal-looking day. I listened to a brand new episode to walk to in which was great. As I walked down my street I get greeted by this little beige Shih Tzu that always runs to the gate and let out his little calm bark. That breed of dog is probably the least aggressive dog I’ve ever seen. Super chill.

It felt like it barked just to put some kind of effort into being a guard dog. I look at him and he/ she looked at me. It was a moment of stillness and peace. I carried on. Sometimes an episode is so good I need to listen again to fully absorb the gems that are dropped.

This week I’m enjoying the latest as I see it begins to rain gently. I had listened to this newest episode on Christmas Eve so when I finish I had some time to once again listen to Just getting started: the seagull episode. Once again I’m experiencing the vibration of everything that Daniel is.

I’m hearing and feeling everything on his side of the world. My visuals are nowhere close to walking along a beautiful sea. One day I will get to that path in the sand that I have foreseen many years before. I’ll tell the story to my wife or even get her to read these words.

This was all written. This all was destiny. One day those seagulls and I shall share the same space as we both respect and have a reverence for the mighty ocean. Sometimes we never think we’ll get there but we eventually do make it. Some of us. I sketched snow-covered mountains when I was young and years later I physically was among the thing that I created on paper. I made it. I never thought I would surrender to the kind of love that I’ve always wanted but I opened back up and did. The difference this time is that there’s a level of respect that was missing. I appreciate that I made it.

I’m at the very end of my walk. I’ve arrived home so I’m about to turn off my Nike tracker and turn off the podcast. I’m literally outside of my building. I see something above me and I look and say there’s no way in the world I’m seeing what I’m seeing. A seagull flies over my head! What??!! I fumble to take the picture and miraculously I got the shot ( A photo featured in this article).

What a surprise. Right at the end, the cameos of all cameos put a cherry on top. That’s why I was to listening to last week’s episode again. God had a message for me. I started to write this story but fate finished it. He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it. Wow. The way He amazes and constantly has me in awe is endless. I loved being surprised because that childlike wonder is what makes me feel alive.

I’m so grateful for His blessings and I‘m excited about the little things.

Well, there it is.

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

I pray that everyone who reads this will have the sensitivity in your spirit to recognize and enjoy moments like these.