The weather here in Tramore wasn’t the greatest this morning but I just had to go for my daily swim in the sea. The sea had a grey look about it and a cold wind was swirling round the Ladies’ Slip but I had my usual mad urge to race into the waves.
Just as I was about to whip off my clothes two women came walking up the slip. They looked like a mother and daughter. They were linking arms and the younger woman stopped and said: ‘ I’d love to be you.’ She turned to her ‘mother’ and said: ‘This lady is going for a swim.’ The older woman nodded approvingly and every single instinct told me that this pair had shared many years swimming in the sea in or around Tramore.
We didn’t dally and I ran into the welcoming waves with such a sense of happiness. Yes, it was cold but the waves were all playful and didn’t give me a minute to feel anything but exuberance.
When I got back to the car, all glowing and invigorated, the two women beamed at me from theirs which was parked with a perfect view of the Bay.
They knew exactly how I was feeling and I think it’s called ‘Freedom.’ Remember the Fortunes and Freedom Come Freedom Go?
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
To honor yourself, and find adventure in it is what freedom is about. In my mind, I watched you swim. I smiled at that image, and particularly with your words: “…the waves were all playful and didn’t give me a minute to feel anything but exuberance.” I know the waves, and the feeling. Yet it’s rare for us, thinking and feeling which waves cannot do, to become that energy for others except just once in a while.
Thanks, Van! Very interesting thoughts on freedom.
Good for you. It took my 20 minutes every day on a recent holiday in Majorca to summon enough courage to “jump in”. Every day this happened to a chorus of: “you’ve gotta just jump in”.
Ang, great to hear from you. Yeah, the chorus can be a bit of a business right enough!