A Thrashing On The Beach

Each year a group of friends make their way to Panama City Beach to meet for a week of fun in the sun.  It is a week long party, playing volleyball and corn hole on the beach, riding the waves, bronzing our bodies and of course eating together each evening.  I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful group of friends.

This morning most of the group had already settled into their places and were already soaking up the sun's rays, by the time Mr Wonderful and I got to the beach.  We unloaded our beach paraphernalia and got ourselves settled.  Mr Wonderful joined a group to play a game of volleyball and I went about taking pictures,  which is one of my favorite things to do.  When the game was over, Mr Wonderful and I decided to take a dip in the ocean to cool off.  The sun reflecting on the water  looked like diamonds floating all around us. Beautiful white puffy clouds overhead gave us a brief respite from the heat of the sun now and then.  The waves were breaking one right after the other and I was jumping over them as they came toward me,  feeling young (which is a far cry from my true age) and carefree. I didn't notice that it was carrying me down the beach away from our friends.  By the time I realized how far I drifted, I was already quite tired but I began swimming my way back toward our friends.  The waves were coming inland hard and fast and I could feel the strength of the undertow beneath me.  In short order, I grew very tired from fighting the ocean currents.  When I got closer to the shore, a big wave hit be from behind and knocked me down.  I felt my body spinning around and being drug back out to sea. I tried to turn over on my knees to get up but was hit by another wave sending me head first into the sand.  In my mind I could see myself as if I were watching the whole thing instead of experiencing it.  I must have looked ridiculous.  I couldn't help but laugh and the more I laughed the harder it was to get up.  Between the waves pounding me into the sand, I could hear Mr Wonderful laughing hysterically and I got a glimpse of him reaching out to give me a hand.  I tried to reach his hand for help but every time another wave would catch me and throw me spinning around.  Finally I felt his strong arms reach around me and pull me to safety.  I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I reached our beach chairs.  It took me a minute or two to catch my breath from the whole ordeal.  Thankfully, everyone else was occupied in their own little world and had not noticed me thrashing in the waves at the shore's edge and my dignity was spared!