Is it a shark?

Started off the morning with a six mile run out to the end of the Doheny jetty road. Surf is still way down today. There were surfers out near the jetty which there always are. It looked like they were doing a lot more sitting than surfing. There just didn’t look like anything was breaking. Then I see a few surfers paddling toward shore. I really don’t see any waves. Is there a shark? Then I see this small bump in the water and they make it into this…I don’t even know if “wave” is the right word…and they are somehow surfing it.

I head to the beach a little after 10. It has been nice and sunny all morning. The high today is 64 which is the warmest day in a bit and is forecasted to be the warmest for the next week.

When I get to the Strand parking lot, the ocean surface looks pretty smooth. There are some hazy, wispy clouds starting to develop but nothing that can sour the current conditions.

The tide is pretty low and getting lower. There is probably a little more surf than there was yesterday, but that’s not saying much since yesterday was pretty flat.

I make my way out into the water and eventually a wave breaks right over me and then I start swimming.

At first it feels about as cold as yesterday but then I notice that it is probably a tad warmer today. It could just be the fact that I am swimming later and in the sun shine.

It’s a super nice day. The water is so smooth and glassy. It’s not nearly as clear as it was yesterday. I can’t see the bottom for most of the swim. I only see it on the very northern end of the swim. It’s odd how when I can’t see the bottom, it seems like it must be like 40 feet deep but I know it is more like 15 on average.

My mind feels a bit agitated today. I had this dream last night that put me in a bit of a melancholic state. So I’m just focused on making my way through this cold.

I’m also thinking of the things I fight over in my head - like my inner evangelical vs. progressive Christian debates. I’ll be somewhere and overhear a youtube video debating some evangelical point vs. a liberal point of view. I’ll catch myself getting bothered. On the one hand, I think it’s fine and healthy to be bothered by view points that I think are wrong and are being discussed in very much a “we are right and the other side is just dumb” kind of a tone. I also recognize that both sides of this debate are guilty of this tone.

I want to find a way to navigate through this in a way that I can be authentic to my own views and be respectful of others who I disagree with. I really don’t want to spend my time in a head space of being annoyed and angry with others. I have chosen to go to an evangelical church albeit a pretty tame one and I am married to someone with evangelical points of view. I have to be able to let view points that I strongly disagree with roll over me. There is totally a time and place to argue but I don’t want that to be the default. No one I know is attacking me on these issues or even challenging me. I pretty much keep my views to myself. I’m not out to convert or unconvert anyone.

Anyhoo…it’s pretty great here at the beach. I finish up and take a walk with my dad. This noon time light feels like 4:00 light for some reason. Maybe I’m just tired and hungry. Oh man that granola and berries waiting for me at home is gonna be so good.