This past weekend I had Sunday all to myself. The weather was pleasant and I’d been in all day Saturday so I decided to take myself for a little walk along the coast. I jumped in the car and headed to a delightful little cafe on the coast. Keep-cup in hand, I ordered an oat flat white and headed out
The coast path I was following is right on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the Bristol channel. Completely exposed to the elements, the weather was perfect coast-path-walking-weather; the sun was shining through broken clouds and the wind was gently buffeting me, reminding me constantly of where I was, and making me look forward to getting under a blanket with a hot chocolate when I got home
I followed the grassy path as it undulated along the cliffs edge until the end of the route where the path fades away as it joins the beach. At this point I could either follow right to the end of the path, through a gravel car park and down onto the beach, following the paths in place, or I could clamber down some rocks and land on the beach much more abruptly, and lets face it, with much more pizzazz
You’re damn right I chose the latter
I began my descent, planning my route on the fly as I stepped and lunged from rock to rock, careful to avoid the scattered tide pools that had formed where the sea had eroded sections of rock. Stretching over chasms, gently placing my feet on unknown rocks to test their stability I made it down the staircase of layered surfaces before ending my performance with a (considering the fragility of my 31 year old skeleton, unnecessarily risky) jump down onto the shale beach below.
I gave a bow and turned to the judges to see a wall of 10s
Nah I didn’t really, but I did happen to land near a group of very serious boulderers who I’m sure were impressed by my abilities
As I carried on walking along the beach I had this unusual feeling inside of me. I felt warm and clear and revitalised and happy and free and I think this was the feeling of genuine joy.
I grew up by the sea so as a kid I’d always be at the beach and walking along the coast. Much to my parents despair, I’d always choose to clamber along a rock wall instead of following a designated path, and I think doing this again as an adult filled me with feeling of childhood nostalgia
On a slightly deeper level, I think that I found myself in a state of flow whilst I was navigating the inconsistent terrain. I’m confident enough in my abilities to climb over rocks that as a task, it didn’t feel too difficult, but the unevenness and uncertainty in the rocks presented enough of a challenge that my brain had to stay engaged. This combination of familiarity and difficulty meant that I was free to let my mind wander, and almost able to meditate. I think this was why I felt clear and refreshed once I’d landed on the beach and, to quote Eminem, snapped back to reality
I should finish this by making it clear that I’m generally happy in my life at the moment; I’m cheerful, hopeful and excited, so it’s not like this feeling came in a time of negativity. I think though that no matter how happy you are, a feeling of genuine joy is a real pleasure to behold