Another Side of Sunset

Tramore Beach, Co. Waterford

The sun was breathing its last over Tramore Beach when I took this photograph a few nights ago. All eyes seemed to be focussed on the golden hues that were embroidering the sea as it gleamed under the watchful eye of Tramore town up on the hill.

But somehow I couldn’t keep my gaze off this little boy with his back to all that. He reminded me of all the evenings that I have sought to eke the very last drop out of days spent at the beach, especially as Summer holidays draw to a close and school looms on the horizon.

He personified the craving for freedom that has always been part of my very being. Oblivious to, or delighting in, the waves soaking his bright red, flapping coat, he played in the waves and then stood still in what seemed like a moment of  lingering oneness with a place where he had found peace, happiness and hope.

I’ve known those moments; they are what sustain me through the storms of life.  Memories carved in sands with the sea absorbing the layers of emotion;  a treasure trove of memories in a shell box that houses those secret securities that we all need.

Are You and Your Phone Joined at the Hip? ~ Gatherings from Ireland # 272

The Back Strand, Tramore, Co. Waterford.

I think I’ve developed an allergy to mobile phones or more specifically to feeling that I’m always within reach. It’s not that I’m hankering after old-fashioned telephone boxes, operators and Press Button A … but I just want to break free, at least some of the time,  like a kite snapping its string and sailing off into the blue.

This morning, for example, I went for a long phoneless walk on the beach here in Tramore. Half the people I met were either chatting on their phones or checking texts or emails and I recognised a former ‘me’ in these people. But there I was today with an immense sense of freedom; I didn’t even have a watch with me!

I’m wondering how on earth we have got so wrapped up in mobile phones that are supposed to be ‘cordless.’

What’s your take on all this?