Yesterday I spent the day at the beach with a dear friend, laughing and swimming, and lying in the sun.
In between naps on warm sand, we waded in the water, joyfully surrendering to the wildness of the waves and roaring with delight and exhilaration after every tumble and toss in the salty sea.
I felt happy and free like a former version of me, the innocent child self yet unburdened by anxiety and the weight of the world.
Joining the chorus of laughter with other wave riders, we all bobbed in unison, a choreography of bliss.
In the big ocean, I stretched out my small body, face toward the sky with arms and legs outstretched and let the tide carry me, up and down and up and down, a gentle rocking from gentle mother ocean. OOH LA LA!
In that peaceful place, the world felt peaceful too.
Like most public places in New York, the beach is a small portrait of unity and diversity, a mix of everyone from everywhere sharing space and taking care.
While resting with eyes closed on my beach towel, I felt soothed by the soundscape of rushing water and the chitter chatter of conversation, a background beat to the pinging, ringing bell of the ice cream cart, and the loud spoken words of men selling “ice cold margaritas! hey, get your ice cold beers!” I was in between sleep and dreaming, nestled safely in the company of strangers and neighbors on the beach, the ocean lullaby singing sweetness over all of us.
And then, this morning, I woke to the news of another war.
I am grieving again for what this means for all of us. I feel so much fear and heartbreak for what lies ahead, and so much anger that we keep doing this to each other. I want to live in a world that feels like the softness of a beach day and the peace of a shared space in the city. I want wild laughter and rest and big dreams and hope for the future.
I want an OOH LA LA! life for me, and for you, and for the whole world.
I don’t know much with any certainty, but I feel more and more resolute to keep on writing, to keep on making art, to keep on intentionally pursuing joy and wonder.
I am encouraged by other writers, artists, and thinkers who share similar visions. “When we choose to meet absurdity with absurdity, we reclaim our right to joy and liberation, despite the odds at stake,” wrote cultural strategist Nicole Cardoza, and “the power of liberation is fueled by an inextinguishable life force,” from artist Chiara Acu.
In the face of so much terror and evil, laughter and lightness are a form of protest, a resiliency toward remembering our humanity and claiming the future of our dreams.
To fortify ourselves in these tumultuous times, more joy is needed!
To cultivate liberation, more hope is required!
For my part, I promise to do what I can to keep sharing goodness, and wonder, and poetry!, especially poetry, for “poems are not words after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry” (Mary Oliver).
Thank you for being part of this practice with me.
This week’s OOH LA LA! is the peace of the sea - the soothing sensation of hot sand on toes, salt water on skin, and the enduring wisdom of the tides
XOXO,
LJ
Thanks for reading!!
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As always, I’d love to know about your OOH LA LA! somethings. Comment below or reply to this email with your own OOH LA LA! poem or hope-filled reminder!