Getting dumped!
I got dumped today. Actually, I got dumped four or five times today by dirty great waves at Henley Beach. Ironically, it was far more humiliating and embarrassing than any relationship dump I've experienced. Truth be told, I've never been romantically dumped but that's just another chapter in the saga of my 'commitment-phobic' story.
Anyway, back to the beach. I've recently made this commitment to be socially proactive in arranging events and meetings so I did a bit of a ring-round this morning to persuade as many as I could to join me for an afternoon in the sand and surf. Apparently others don't share my enthusiasm for excursion BUT I did manage a small party of four so not too shabby.
Just as a small aside, I wonder if female reluctance was due to personal grooming issues. As far as appearance is concerned, I am all in favour of minimal maintenance and concern but I am well aware of the pressures that befall a woman as soon as she steps onto the beach in her bathers. Body hair, body tone, skin pallor, weight and figure...its a veritable smorgasboard of potential insecurities.
My three companions and I arrived at the beach mid-afternoon and decided to begin our adventure with a beer at the pub - a gorgeous venue with views over the waves. The beer (Coopers Pale Ale) was enjoyed and then we 'transferred' to the sand. I had disregarded any appearance insecurities and had donned a rather teeny black bikini under my regular attire and soon shed these outer garments and ran into the shallows.
Today was really windy and the kite-skiers, sailors and surfers were making the most of the waves and surf. Henley is usually a fairly sedate beach so the choppy waves came as a bit of a surprise....a BIG surprise to bini bini when after riding the first appropriate wave in, one very kind friend discretely alerted me to one bikini top residing around my midriff - aaargh!
Never mind, but this was followed by a number of wave dumps and bikini-top drifts, never mind the salt-water swallowing and 'up-the-nose-like-a-rubber-hose' action!!! Sooooo much fun :). It reminds me of childhood...the humiliation, embarrassment, excitement, fear, challenge, determination.
Today I learned that to live without fear of humiliation is to live without the possibility of success.
Anyway, back to the beach. I've recently made this commitment to be socially proactive in arranging events and meetings so I did a bit of a ring-round this morning to persuade as many as I could to join me for an afternoon in the sand and surf. Apparently others don't share my enthusiasm for excursion BUT I did manage a small party of four so not too shabby.
Just as a small aside, I wonder if female reluctance was due to personal grooming issues. As far as appearance is concerned, I am all in favour of minimal maintenance and concern but I am well aware of the pressures that befall a woman as soon as she steps onto the beach in her bathers. Body hair, body tone, skin pallor, weight and figure...its a veritable smorgasboard of potential insecurities.
My three companions and I arrived at the beach mid-afternoon and decided to begin our adventure with a beer at the pub - a gorgeous venue with views over the waves. The beer (Coopers Pale Ale) was enjoyed and then we 'transferred' to the sand. I had disregarded any appearance insecurities and had donned a rather teeny black bikini under my regular attire and soon shed these outer garments and ran into the shallows.
Today was really windy and the kite-skiers, sailors and surfers were making the most of the waves and surf. Henley is usually a fairly sedate beach so the choppy waves came as a bit of a surprise....a BIG surprise to bini bini when after riding the first appropriate wave in, one very kind friend discretely alerted me to one bikini top residing around my midriff - aaargh!
Never mind, but this was followed by a number of wave dumps and bikini-top drifts, never mind the salt-water swallowing and 'up-the-nose-like-a-rubber-hose' action!!! Sooooo much fun :). It reminds me of childhood...the humiliation, embarrassment, excitement, fear, challenge, determination.
Today I learned that to live without fear of humiliation is to live without the possibility of success.