When the Waves Crash

The beach is my home. I grew up going to the beach at least once a week during the summer, usually more often. My sister spent her time on the sand, perfecting her tan. I spent my time in the water.

Sometimes the waves are scary. But I always go in, even if the water is cold or the ocean is angry. I go in when the yellow flags are up. I know waves like the back of my hand.

Some waves break far out. Some break at the shore. Some break twice. Some break and release. Some break and roll. Some are regular. Some are variable.

Sometimes the water is so choppy that the waves are not discernible. The water crashes in on itself, churning sand and bits of shells into a grey, foamy mountain that churns people right along with the shells.

There are several ways to handle yourself in the ocean, to get through the waves rather than having them get through you. You choose a strategy based on the type of wave you see coming.

Obviously, it is important to be looking at the ocean. If you are looking back at the beach, you do not know what is coming at your back. Look at the ocean. Waves rise up without much warning, and you usually do not know what is coming until it is before you, but you do have a few seconds. 

You can dig your toes into the sand and angle your body slightly forward. This is a good strategy for small waves or small chop.

You can jump and twirl in the wave. This is a good strategy for small/medium, regular waves. Regular waves have a distinct curl and are spaced out a little. You can enjoy them and avoid being knocked over if you jump. Giving them your back prevents getting sprayed in the face when the wave bounces off your body.

You can duck and let the wave roll over you. Ducking is great for medium, regular waves. It is not so great in chop, because you would be ducking all the time. And you would probably get knocked backward, since choppy seas tend to swirl beneath the surface. All the energy is not in the wave; it is dispersed throughout.

You can float. This is okay in light chop. The problem with floating is that you cannot see what is coming. And you will get flipped upside down and slammed into the sandy floor if a good-sized wave comes.

You can get behind the waves and push up, moving with the water. Jump lightly, keeping only your head above the water. This is not possible if the waves are breaking far out or if you are too short to touch the bottom. Then you would have to tread water, and that takes a lot of energy. But if you can get past the where the waves are breaking, you can rise and fall with them as they begin.

You can dive through the wave. This works for waves of any size (okay, not tidal waves). You make your body stiff as a board, arms straight in front of you, and aim for the base of the wave. It will roll right over your back. But you have to stay stiff enough. If you are floppy, you will get churned. But if you do it right, diving through the wave is the safest, most reliable way to get through. 

When you are in the ocean, you have to do something. If you do nothing, you will get churned in the waves, scraped by pebbles and shells, and slammed into the floor.

It would be great to get out of the water. And we will get out of the water one day. But we needed and wanted the experience of the ocean, and we chose to get in. 

*****

For small and medium trials, we have lots of ways to get through, like digging in our toes, jumping and twirling, ducking, and floating. 

Sometimes we can strategize with bigger trials, anticipating them and letting them roll through us before they get too bad. 

But sometimes we have big trials right in our face, and we have to dive through, staying stiff enough that they roll over us. We are using the same amount of energy as if we had dug in our toes or jumped, but we are using our energy in a different way. A way that works better. I think we can learn the diving strategies from other people who have been there. I taught my friend with the literal ocean. With my figurative ocean, I am learning from magazines, websites, books, and my shrink. That helps. But I still have to use the strategies.

Talk to my doctor and nurse, use the cognitive-behavioral strategies, take my medications, try other meds when mine do not work, go to PT, go to yoga, talk to friends, and cry when I need it.

Sometimes there are tidal waves, and no strategy in the world will get you through. Maybe my trials are like the North Shore. So what can I do? Well, even the North Shore gets calm sometimes. I hope my MS does.