I wake up on the La Noscean beach to the curiosity of scuttling crabs. They seem to wonder what I am doing sleeping on their beach and come to ask me. They have a crazy way of asking, which involves using their claws to pinch my face off.
After a quick morning stretch, I find myself eating crab for breakfast.
Once I've had my fill, I take a bath. This is usually the highlight of my day. I wade out into the ocean, past the breaking of the waves, with my giant wooden board, and I find a big enough wave, and I jump on it, then stand on my board. This is an important part of the bath process, because the salt spray is good for my skin. I ride the board until I fall off, or the wave is no longer able to be ridden. Usually I fall off.
Sometimes when bathing, I see a shark or think I saw one, and I think about years ago. I used to call myself a shark. I was a hunter, and considered by many a good one. I felt like I had no natural predators, like sharks do. I was the apex of the food chain. In those days, when I rode the waves I imagined that I was a shark, hunting for prey, making a kill, and moving on gracefully and perfectly through the water. Not a single wasted motion, just killing perfection. But an apex predator is still a plaything to nature. A shark can't swim if the tide doesn't allow it.
I remember the day I was taught this lesson, and the five years it has taken to sink in.
Now, on this beach, I understand. I shouldn't try to be the shark, I should strive to be the ocean. I should be the gentle lapping at people's feet, and the violent crashing of a storm's tide. What's an apex predator to the ocean current?
After a quick morning stretch, I find myself eating crab for breakfast.
Once I've had my fill, I take a bath. This is usually the highlight of my day. I wade out into the ocean, past the breaking of the waves, with my giant wooden board, and I find a big enough wave, and I jump on it, then stand on my board. This is an important part of the bath process, because the salt spray is good for my skin. I ride the board until I fall off, or the wave is no longer able to be ridden. Usually I fall off.
Sometimes when bathing, I see a shark or think I saw one, and I think about years ago. I used to call myself a shark. I was a hunter, and considered by many a good one. I felt like I had no natural predators, like sharks do. I was the apex of the food chain. In those days, when I rode the waves I imagined that I was a shark, hunting for prey, making a kill, and moving on gracefully and perfectly through the water. Not a single wasted motion, just killing perfection. But an apex predator is still a plaything to nature. A shark can't swim if the tide doesn't allow it.
I remember the day I was taught this lesson, and the five years it has taken to sink in.
Now, on this beach, I understand. I shouldn't try to be the shark, I should strive to be the ocean. I should be the gentle lapping at people's feet, and the violent crashing of a storm's tide. What's an apex predator to the ocean current?
![[Image: BZneHYK.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/BZneHYK.jpg)
No Gods and Precious Few Heroes
