Last night I dreamt about her again. I haven't been to see her in a while, and it's beginning to show. My oldest friend, the ocean. The vast, beautiful, merciful, loving ocean.

I don't love the ocean because of a fetish with skimboarding. I don't go to the beach because I want to look at chicks. I go to the beach to see the ocean and play with her. I love the ocean because she'll provide me with infinite amounts of fun whenever I need it, she won't get mad when I leave, and she'll never judge me. I suppose these are the same reasons you might love a pet, or any inanimate object.

There are more powerful reasons to love the ocean, ones that I don't often discuss. When I look out and see miles of blue, when I see rays of light pierce the clouds and touch her surface, when I see dolphins play, when I see moonlight bounce off of her, when I hear her familiar voice, the soft waves rolling into shore - I can feel the awesome power of God. Every time I look at the ocean, I am literally struck with awe by the beauty of it. Try as I might, such beauty could never be described by my words.

I love the ocean because of its immense power. It is so incredibly vast and formidable...once again, I am struck with awe. Sometimes, when the surf is just right and I swim out to play in it, I feel like I can converse with God. I think it's because the ocean could take my life at any second, it just makes me feel...powerless. Reminds me who I am, and that life is short. The ocean has tried to kill me quite a few times. Once I was caught in a rip current, with big surf pounding me senseless, pushing me closer and closer to the pier. I literally fought for my life to avoid breaking my back on the pilings of the pier. I've been way too close to a few sharks - probably wouldn't have killed me, but there's no way in hell you could convince me of that at the time.

Whatever it is, there's something truly magical about the ocean. There's just something great about feeling so powerless in front of all the ocean's might. She could so easily kill me if she wanted to...

Well, maybe I'm just crazy...but I don't care. She'll never judge me.