Taking the Plunge

I have to admit that I'm not much of a risk taker. I tried to change that some this weekend, and the results weren't all positive. And yet they were, in a roundabout sort of way. I definitely learned more about myself and about my world.

I decided to have Thai food for dinner. I don't even know when was the last time I ate Thai. Oh, yes. It was a couple of years ago when my aunt Kathy took me to lunch. Mark doesn't "do" exotic, and so for years, I haven't either, allowing myself to be defined by his preferences. I went out on a short limb and ordered something with squid, a food I've never tried. Now I can officially tell you that I don't like squid. Should I have stuck with something safe? A guacamole burger with fries? Fried prawns? Taco salad? I could have. I would have enjoyed any of the above. But no. I am really glad I tried something new. The rest of the dish was fabulous, anyway, and now I know something new about myself.

I also experienced nature in a new way. In the past I would have been far more cautious about my climb over the rocks on the edge of the surf. In the past I would have stayed dry! I slipped and fell into the ocean, not just my leg up to the knees. Not a little "oops! how silly" experience. No, I took the plunge. Thankfully my head didn't go under, but everything else did, including my fanny pack containing my camera, my cell phone, and my money. As I lay there with the surf surging over me, I'm not sure which feeling was more dominate: my embarrassment over the man looking down in concern from atop the rocks or my sudden realization of just how COLD the Pacific is in February. If I hadn't gone out on the rocks, though, I wouldn't have gotten the fabulous pictures that I did. I wouldn't have seen mussels still in the shell, clustered together like some sort of tight knit but armored family. I wouldn't have seen the green anemones waving up from the tide pools. I wouldn't have seen the perfect pink shell, which scuttled beneath a rock when I reached for it! (Apparently someone had already laid claim to it -- a little someone who wasn't thrilled with my presence.) I had a fabulous time and ended up feeling more alive, out on those rocks, than I have in a long time. I would fall in a dozen times if I had to just to hang on to that hour.