Reflections In The Water...

There is rarely anything more soothing than the rippling sounds of water. Many of us can drift back in time when we've had an opportunity to walk on the shores of the sea. Those of us in the South are drawn to the beauty of The Gulf, while those on our two outer coastlines have miles and miles of beach that contain the splendor of the oceans. The waves crash...the breeze is in my face...the seagulls dart to and fro overhead...the sand is between my toes... There 's just something about the ambiance of the beach...

I've stood on the edge of both coasts. The temperature was always toasty on the East Coast and chilly on the West. I've watched the sun rise above the Atlantic and I've seen the sun set beyond the Pacific. In the distance, majestic ships sometimes appear motionless as they ever so slowly make their way to exotic places unknown. The earth shakes as the waves pound the shores, rearranging nature's landscape. And each time as my eyes seek to find the outer edge of the waters, fear overtakes me as a battle rages within.

For as much as I love the seas...the oceans, I fear them even more. A childhood incident provided the foundations of a fear that I suffer with to this day. Way beyond a phobia, my fear of water is unimaginable. Just the thought of being near a body of water...even a normal swimming pool...sends chills up my spine...my blood pressure skyrockets...my heart races...my skin crawls... Many have offered help...but the fear continues to say 'no'.

While many of you long to have ocean-front property, I simply can't imagine living by the water. For you, it would be pleasure...for me, it would be pain.

Imagine being in this condition, and being forced into living on the shores of the sea. Imagine that your life...your world has been turned upside down and the future lies in the reflections on the water. Imagine what once was called normal...routine, has now vanished. Imagine what you once called home, no longer existed...yet you long to return. You relive the hardships and sufferings of the recent past and the memories of your nightmares are more inviting than what your future now holds...it seems....

...to be continued.