Jeffrey Dixon

300174797

A Day at the Beach
I was floating on my back, undulating with the waves. It was a cloudy day with the bright
sun peering overhead. A patch of fleecy clouds moving into view caught my attention. I was going
along with the motion of the ocean. All my effort went into keeping my head off the water. I just
closed my eyes for a minute and took in the senses. I could hear the waves break against the shore,
and smell the peppery sea salt each time I took in a deep breath. Today was a perfect day to be at the
beach.
The beachgoers clamor was still audible over the breaking waves. There were all sorts of
activity going on the beach. People were having picnics, playing football, or walking along the
shoreline. Amidst all this were my friends lounging in their beach chairs. Occasionally, I would shoot
a glance over to my group to see how far I drifted away. I closed my eyes again and became lost in a
sea of thoughts. Seconds became minutes and minutes became a moment in time; a moment that I
wasnt prepared for.
When I looked up I noticed that the water carried me out pretty far. I was at least 50 yards
out, but swimming back was going to be a challenge. I could still hear the waves break against the
shore; however, the people on the beach were out of earshot. The waves were picking up in
intensity. I swung my feet under me, hoping to hit sand. What I presumed to be a sand floor gave
way to water.
Suddenly, a five foot wave crashed into me. The magnitude and force was enough to push
me underwater. I was rolling with the turbulence, unaware which way was up or down. I fought
back, clawing my way towards the surface. When I finally poked my head out, I had only a second to
gaze at the tower of white before me. It was larger and more monstrous than the last. In a flash, the
Jeffrey Dixon
300174797

wave took me under for another ride. It felt like an eternity getting caught in Mother Natures
frenzy.
I surfaced, gasping for a long breath. The cold air was refreshing to my aching lungs, almost
invigorating my whole body. I started swimming back. Every other stroke I pulled seemed to bring
me back to where I started. An uneasy feeling rose in my stomach. I panicked and swam harder. I
fought and fought the water only to drift backwards.
This was a rip current I was dealing with. Im not a weak swimmer, but Im not stronger
than a rip current either. I had to swim parallel to the beach to get out of the rip current, lest I
drown at sea. Swimming was becoming exhausting; my legs were tight, and my arms were getting
sore.
Making my way out of the current was strenuous. After a series of duck diving under waves,
I was finally in calmer waters. I swam back to the shore, tired and weary. The beachgoers were
becoming more audible. I was crawling up the sand on my hands and knees. I looked like I was
thrown off a ship. The sand felt warm and forgiving so I laid down, static and motionless. Instead of
staring at the clouds, I just closed my eyes, processing everything that happened.