Relative Something

If ever you want to feel like a herd animal, or maybe it is a migrating flock, or penguin, or lemming?, …just decide to head to the beach of Florida’s Gulf coast on one of the first warm, sunny Fridays in the time span that encompasses many a school’s spring break.

Wait in a line of traffic trying to just get there, then wait in a line of traffic vying for one of the last spots in the parking ramp. Carry an assortment of beach chairs, towels, drinks, reading material, and the all-important umbrella and march in the line of humanity, all carrying their version of optimal beach paraphernalia, headed to the very same limited expanse of sand. Then as you descend the boardwalk, pick a direction –right or left?– and begin the trudge in and around the throngs of fellow humans in the herd whom arrived prior to you and settled their six square feet of real estate.

Be careful, because if you walk too far in hopes of out-distancing the masses who arrived before you, you run the risk of coming face to face with a clan of humans who parked at the lot down the road and are now doing the same thing as you, only from the other direction.

You suddenly realize the need to forgo any previous discretion about personal space and just plop down with complete strangers, elbow to elbow, knowing that doing so reduces what little walking space previously existed, and which you just used to get to this spot, down to almost nothing such that the line of humanity still flowing on to the beach –well, half the line, the ones who chose to turn right– will need to pass over and around you in their search for a similar small space to settle.

Then, enjoy!

One way to get over being too close to so many scantily clad human bodies is to go to a show where the crowd of people are fully dressed and all synchronized in joint adoration and celebration of a classic American rock band. We celebrated The Beach Boys by going to a concert where two of the original band members, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, along with part time celebrity member, John Stamos  of television’s Full House fame, and Mike Love’s son, Christian, among other supporting musicians, did excellent renditions of the songs already permanently stored in our heads. If you notice in the photo I captured of the event, their music has been around so long that the audience is starting to show its age. On stage, you can see Mike Love, on the left, and Bruce Johnston, right, all lit up in white as the actual Beach Boys. John Stamos is highlighted a little more subtly, playing congas.

Not a bad way to spend my last weekday far from the confines of the day job up north. It has been one of the fastest weeks that I recall ever experiencing. How come they never seem this fast when I’m working?