Waves

This beach is so familiar and yet I think it mustn't exist because the waves often crash over the roof of the lifesaving club. Surely that wouldn't be allowed to happen if it were real? The lifesavers sit on towers that come up a short distance from the rooftop, people move everywhere round the seawall, the beach is briefly visible, then the waves come, sizzling and frothing over the wavy steel roof.

It's so familiar though, and I remember being here regularly - going for icecream, visiting and admiring this city because it has this beach, being satisfied and exhilarated here. The beach is tightly curved, held this way by seawalls. The waves build invisibly in this funnel til they're over the roof again with a celebratory splash.

There's often a lifesaving or surfing competition on. In both cases, it doesn't feel unusual at the time. Only when waking does it seem unrealistic to be in water that can't settle on sand, that slams and fizzes against stone and concrete.

The mood is light, the emotions are high, there's nominal safety, no one is concerned. A funnelling structure has allowed an emotional intensity to build that no one minds, that is celebrated. The caretakers of safety are out in the high-emotional danger, playing and competing for more – intensity upon intensity, without repercussion.

Competitiveness and heightened emotions, movement and relaxation, it's a beach holiday in a bubble, condensed milk, a Vietnamese coffee version of an experience.
Stronger, sweeter, richer, more intense, and wrapped as a gift.

We're standing in a relaxed buzz with someone we love, as the waves crash over the lifesaving club again, and people cheer the surfers on. Bliss!

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Emotional intensity, depth and height, relaxing with the feelings thought to previously overwhelm. A demonstration of riding the waves, circling round with the water, the feelings, not feeling trapped or smashed against reality. Being shown reality is much more fun and flexible than the concrete element we imagined it was.

You know how if you totally relax and fall, you're not hurt so much? I remember this from fainting and falling - you fall like a weighted blanket, not a brittle stick. The emotional intensity can be held in relaxation much better, and even enjoyed!

What's terrifying for one person is sheer exhilaration for another. What's exhilarating for them can be exciting for you. What's your relationship to the thing? Intensity is just volume. You get to choose how it feels after that.