I've been swimming most days, which is of course amazing.
Walking down the boardwalk towards the surf, a little boy's eyes snagged on me--this happens a lot because I'm in my wetsuit, and little kids are struck by, I think, either the novelty, or the engaging assumption that I'm a surfer. They often say something; this kid didn't but did the whole zoogly eyes thing.
Then, when we were three feet past each other he said, "What's your name?" As if he might recognize me, or know it.
I told him my name.
"My name's Lucas!" He said it like that, exclamated.
"What's up, Lucas?" I said. "Here." And I stepped towards him and raised my hand for a high five.
He zipped towards me, did an odd motion, and jumped for the high five and it was good. Then Lucas said, "I've got this new method," and showed me this complicated martial arts-y thing where you kind of cock your fist up, lever it, THEN do a fist bump. Like loading up then firing the fist bump. And then the splooosh thing afterwards, hands wide. He said that, showing me: "Sploosh."
So we did that, and I said, "Thanks a lot, Lucas." And he smiled and said, "Okay," walking back from the beach as I continued out towards it.
Coming out of the water after a nice, long swim, a boy--not quite a little boy, maybe 12 or 13, long lanky California kid hair--bounded up to me. He had a rash guard on, and a boogieboard.
"Hey did you see them?"
I paused, smiling.
"You were swimming with dolphins."
I smiled more. I'd certainly seen no dolphins; I wasn't sure there had been any, or that I'd really been anywhere near them. "That's amazing," I said. "I didn't see them. I wonder if they saw they me."
"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Yeah. I wonder what would have happened."
Walking down the boardwalk towards the surf, a little boy's eyes snagged on me--this happens a lot because I'm in my wetsuit, and little kids are struck by, I think, either the novelty, or the engaging assumption that I'm a surfer. They often say something; this kid didn't but did the whole zoogly eyes thing.
Then, when we were three feet past each other he said, "What's your name?" As if he might recognize me, or know it.
I told him my name.
"My name's Lucas!" He said it like that, exclamated.
"What's up, Lucas?" I said. "Here." And I stepped towards him and raised my hand for a high five.
He zipped towards me, did an odd motion, and jumped for the high five and it was good. Then Lucas said, "I've got this new method," and showed me this complicated martial arts-y thing where you kind of cock your fist up, lever it, THEN do a fist bump. Like loading up then firing the fist bump. And then the splooosh thing afterwards, hands wide. He said that, showing me: "Sploosh."
So we did that, and I said, "Thanks a lot, Lucas." And he smiled and said, "Okay," walking back from the beach as I continued out towards it.
***
Coming out of the water after a nice, long swim, a boy--not quite a little boy, maybe 12 or 13, long lanky California kid hair--bounded up to me. He had a rash guard on, and a boogieboard.
"Hey did you see them?"
I paused, smiling.
"You were swimming with dolphins."
I smiled more. I'd certainly seen no dolphins; I wasn't sure there had been any, or that I'd really been anywhere near them. "That's amazing," I said. "I didn't see them. I wonder if they saw they me."
"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Yeah. I wonder what would have happened."
***
There's been a swell with 4-, 5-foot waves even close to the Santa Monica Pier. And it's been hot. So there've been a lot of families at the beach, boogie-boarding and bodysurfing.
As I walked down into the water yesterday, fussing with my swim cap, two little girls rode the foam of a big crash, practically all the way up to the towels.
They were probably nine, ten; wearing those little-girl bikinis that're like two bandannas wrapped around a banana.
They held each others' hands, laughing as their boards coasted up in parallel. Their skin was differently hued.
They stood from their ride, scuffling with their boards, excited to go again.
"You have no idea how good that was," one said to the other.
No idea.
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