I jump in and out of the water as the waves dance upon the beach, leaving their short-lived traces in the wet sand. “Don’t let the white part hit you or you’re dead!” I scream at my brother as we run down the beach. Seagulls have, by this time, caught my attention. They stand together, squawking, looking for any morsel they can eat, whether edible or not. I tear after them, watching as they take flight and land somewhat gracefully upon the rolling waves.
As I grow beyond my seagull torturing phase, I still enjoy going to our cottage in Oscoda, Michigan, yet every few years my motivation changes. For a few years in junior high school my yearning for the cottage was not the glorious horizon, often picturesquely dotted with sailboats. It was not the sunset, the fiery sun being quenched by the waves. It was boys. The two down the beach from me to be specific.
I matured once again, moving past the boys and finally realizing the beauty the shoreline of Lake Huron holds. Countless nights were spent lying on the cold sand, one side near the fire, the other freezing cold, seeing stars more clearly than I ever have before. I have been to the white shores of Alabama and swam in the Atlantic Ocean, but in my mind, nothing compares to the beauty of the endless waters of Lake Huron.
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I liked this post a lot. It was a really good balance of storytelling and fact, and you balanced them really well for only having 300 words!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece for a couple of reasons. Everyone can enjoy, or at least understand, a description of a shore or the beach. I also like how a fun memory was described to ease in the unveiling of the actual location. It gets the reader interested and forces them to read of further. It was also a good explanation of the extreme difference in temperature along the shores of the Great Lakes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! I've only seen a big body of water once, so any description of their experience, for me, is really nice to read. I like how you went through your different stages of maturity each time you visited your cottage. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteThe stories that tied it together are what i enjoyed most, as well as the progression over the years.
ReplyDeleteRS
I liked your piece a lot, you did an excellent job of describing yourself and the place. You also evoked the phases of appreciation one goes through as they grow up really well.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you used stories to describe this place. I have never been to Lake Huron, but it sounds great!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you told me where it specifically was. I got a good picture both from explicit details and implicit feelings you associate with it. I really like the way you allowed the negation of what it was that you looked forward to to allow you to describe some of the beauty of the beach, which you later came to appreciate. I also love that even though you grow older, Lake Huron doesn't really change (much) but you just explore it's different facets.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing, the description used made me feel like I was there and part of the experience. The way you added that you have been to other places and nothing compared to lake huron shows the compassion you have for your personal place. -jerod-
ReplyDeleteNice balance between place description and the feeling Lake Huron evokes in you. The permanence of place sets of the personal changes in your life. Nice way to frame the post.
ReplyDelete