Whidbey Island, “today”

We went looking for whales. We rented a condo for a few nights on one of the nearby islands, small towns with hippies, locally owned stores, everyone in sweaters and graying. It was spring break for the kids but Dawn and I had to work still. We wanted to leave by 3 to beat the traffic but couldn’t, we were both busy as hell. The weather was really bad and getting worse. I was in a sour mood. We decided to slow down and go to the ale house for dinner and just leave after the traffic, so we did. And the sun came out as it was setting, as we got on the ferry, and when we got into our place the kids flittered about and were happy, and we got to bed about 11 and then up for work by 6. I got my stuff done and walked out on the beach, and for the first time ever I sunk in the sand, had to kind of run to avoid going in. I only had one pair of shoes but they dried out, and I went to the book store and got The Woman Who Lost Her Soul for my friend Loren. I thought it was $28 but they said this is only $5, and I tipped them two, and went on my way.

The sky was all swirls of clouds and wind, furrowed brows, scalloped tides coming in, a crow on a totem pole, all of it wonder. The sometimes sense when things are in tune, a kind of dream-pace, but real life, present. The feeling it’s a time you’ll remember and will improve with age but doesn’t have to.

The kids made a heart shape with their hands and took a photo and there was an old boat down by the wharf that looked serious enough for Alaska, and so did the guys working it. The rain came and went every 20 minutes and you just got wet, dried out, got wet again, and everyone had that weathered look of island living. And the name of the boat was Abundance. I didn’t see any whales, didn’t need to.

Categories: musings, parenting, travel

Tags: Bob Shacochis, good karma, living in the present, love and kindness, Memoir, pacific northwest, parenting, positivity, The Woman Who Lost Her Soul, Whidbey Island, William Pearse writer, work-life balance