Infallible

Infallible has always been a curious word to me….I guess because I do not view anything in life as perfect. The perfect house may have a settling foundation; the perfect car may have a bent axle; the perfect job may not offer the best benefits; the perfect garden may have invasive weeds, the perfect relationship may require compromise, the perfect horse may require maintenance to perform soundly, etc. While there are some who have set the standards so high, as it applies to the subject at hand, that it becomes impossible to find a perfectly compatible match…at least in their mind. While the match may not be perfect in the true definition of the word, it may far exceed any prior experience, project, asset, etc. I am not suggesting to “settle”… but simply to let go of the ego… to consider the value of your options.

Now allow me to switch gears, if you will. The best example of “infallible” I can think of is not something created by mortals. After all, we were all sinners when entering the earthly realm….and the imperfect human created the house, car, jobs, gardens…and is held accountable for the domesticated horse. Nature, as presented to us by our creator himself, is the purest form of perfection we will ever witness.

Take the ocean, for an example. Aside from growing up and living on a barrier island, I am very fortunate to have infinite access to the sea’s beauty. There is a reason for selecting the ocean as a topic for this blog…and I will get to that in a moment.

Life is really quite like an ocean. Some of us choose to swim towards our goals, even when the tides are against us, others prefer to float, letting the waves take them wherever. There are also plenty of people who combine swimming and floating. Swimming can be exhausting, but swimmers have clear goals in mind and determination in their hearts. Floating takes people places they may not like, but it also allows them to go on amazing adventures. A compromise of the two shows a certain resourcefulness. Whether you swim, float, or do a little bit of both, your choices grant you strengths that will help you navigate the ocean of life.

There is nothing quite like going to the beach, removing your flip flops, leaving footprints in the sand, walking along the water’s edge and breathing in the salt air. The vast blue landscape, the sound of waves washing ashore, the changing currents and tides, the smell of saline… are all sensory magic. The Ocean’s depths, however, invite us to dive deep into our subconscious mind. The exotic sea creatures, hidden treasures, and lurking danger beneath the surface help to supply our intuitions, while the mystical sea creatures are collective consciousness. Not only is water a primal catharsis but if we listen and pay attention, we may gain insight to what nature is trying to convey to us.

In my own experience and clairvoyant sort of way, the sighting of a dolphin may represent communication. Have I been too verbal? If so, do I need to dial back my assertiveness? On the other hand, have I been too reserved with my feelings or thoughts? Do I need to find the courage to speak up?

If I should observe a turtle in my quietness, I may interpret the turtle as earthly endurance but at the same time, withdrawing. While I consider myself a very productive person with my feet hitting the floor at a turtle’s pace early in the mornings, I also tend to withdraw into my quiet cozy little sanctum (on a settling foundation) at the end of the day. Do I need to do a better job of balancing work and play?

My thoughts and interpretations, at the time, are all based on my current circumstances. Meanings could be entirely different on any given day. While I find solace in any geographical location, as long as I am outside with nature, water is such a soothing, calming and healing element. As such, a fetus finds comfort in his or hers mother’s womb cradling in protective embryotic fluid. I try to create the same harmonic balance and grounding effect with water features around the homestead.

While on prior travel, I had the great fortune of watching salmon in their natural geograhical habitat. On that particular day in question, the delightful observation conveyed to me “ascension”…more in the context of obsessive drive. I had been putting in a lot of overtime at work; thus, I have to constantly remind myself that there is more to life than working…whether it be my career or distractions with busy work.

If I were to spot a shark in the not so far distance, I would attribute that to mean that there could be a potentially less than optimal outcome when faced with a decision.

If I were to spot an otter floating on it’s back, the message for me may be to relax and have patience, if I am anxious about an outcome. Additionally, it may be a message to lighten a rigid schedule with some down time.

I not only have the great fortune of living near the beach but my office literally opens up to the Atlantic Ocean. While I am too busy on most days at work to remember that the ocean is at our back door, there are occassions when I step outside for a few minutes to release some overwhelming stress. After a few minutes of the of sunshine’s warmth, the coastal breeze, the sound of the ocean’s mood, the smell of the guest’s sunscreen…my worries simply float away with the outgoing tide. Upon re-entry into the historical interior, I may run into a client or guest that stops me with a concern. While I may normally attempt to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution for both parties, I may just opt to give away the entire real estate, as a result of my renewed spirit…lol! HINT: please do not take this advice seriously, unless you plan to be unemployed by the end of the business day!

Now, you ask, what was the other purpose of focusing on the ocean – or water elements in general? A dear friend and follower of my blogs recently sent me a hilarious email…and suggested that she may expect to see another Homesteadnews blog in the near future…lol! While there were no credits given, the email follows:

The Ocean, ALL you Need to Know! Children Writing About the Ocean

1)- This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles. (Kelly, age 6)

2) – Oysters’ balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) – If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don’t have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (Mike, age 7)

4) – Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson . She’s not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) – A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head.
(Billy, age 8)

6) – My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)

7) – When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn’t blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better
off eating beans. (William, age 7)

8) – Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? 
Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

9) – I’m not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is
always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can’t think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

10) – Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

11) – When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

12) – Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can’t go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age 8)

13) – On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won’t do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)

14) – The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don’t drown I don’t know. (Bobby, age 6)

15) – My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn’t know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom.
(James, age 7)

If you didn’t smile at one of these, you need to find a better sense of humor.

There you have it…the humor that inspired this selective account of my journey by the water’s edge:)

Until next time Moon Doggies…