At the writing group I attend, we are given weekly themes to inspire creative pieces. Recently, we were given the theme of ‘the beach’ and since this is my first blog, I thought it would be fitting to write about, well, the beach.
I grew up in Manchester, a place I feel mixes gritty realism with soul and possibility. Mostly, I have fond memories of Manchester – nights out at indie clubs, feet sticking to the floor and Its plethora of dining choices, bars and theatres. Live music on tap, shopping to my heart’s content in Topshop and the cave like cavern of my favourite bar, Corbieres, all remind me of my younger days living in what felt (at times) like urban paradise. Despite the richness of city life, I’d always had a longing to live by the sea since being very young, but I’d never really explored (fully) this longing and desire. In order to write a poem about ‘the beach’, I had to become curious about this fervent pull towards a life by the sea that eventually led to a relocation away from my family.
Was it the clean scenery in contrast to an urban life that seemed so appealing to my younger self? Had I lived there in a past life or was my future, higher self always lulling me towards the life I was supposed to live? The answer: I really don’t know. What I do know, is that when I see the sea and the horizon, where the edge of land gives way to an openness, I feel a sense of space within myself; an expanse that’s wordless. Life, so often, feels imposing – possessions, commitments, obligations and ‘life admin’ which, like washing dishes, feels like we never really get ahead of because there’s always more coming. And then there’s the gift of modern life with it’s digital admin: emails, text messages, social media (which I avoid due to the very real risk of my brain malfunctioning) and never ending WhatsApp groups and messages which feels like my phone is constantly screaming at me, demanding to be read. Basically, life feels overwhelming and noisy, both literally and energetically. Combine this world with a nervous system that can easily feel fried and getting into nature becomes a non-negotiable part of life.
Nature, and in particular the sea, is a place to reset and align with a rhythm that hugs your soul and soothes your mind. It reminds us we are more than the roles we play, we are part of something so much bigger, wider, expansive and whole. And so, perhaps that intense desire to live by the sea when I was younger was actually just a call to go home; to return to a place of truth and to remember that life’s meaning doesn’t come from what we fill it up with, its meaning is hidden in the places where we can strip away the things we have accumulated. That place, for me, is by the sea.
You can read my poem ‘Happy Place’ in the poem section by clicking here.
