I understand this fellow.

I spend a lot of time staring at the ocean, too.

That might seem wasteful or self-indulgent, but to me, it’s time well spent. Some of my best thinking happens at the beach. The regular pounding of the surf lulls me into a kind of meditative state where my mind is clear.

Even the simple routines of anchoring the boat on the salt pond and then carrying lunch, books, and chairs across the barrier beach provide a way of grounding me. I step onto the hot sand, leaving my rubber flip flops at the end of the path. Block Island sits straight ahead on a clear day. Quonochontaug to the left and Weekapaug to the right flank the long stretch of shoreline.

Settling in, I am grateful beyond words for this opportunity to connect with the sand, surf, and familiar sights again.

Edited: I discovered a lovely wordfor this: Uitwaaien