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Copyright reserved. No part(s) of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means without the written permission of the author. Nothing to do by James G. Fabiano The newspapers are filled with things to do, for the people who vacation on the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine. From concerts to sand sculpturing, from beauty contests to fireworks, people are informed that there is an incredible amount to do during this time of year. In fact, one feels compelled to be perpetually busy on his, or her, coastal vacation. What is never advertised is the ability to do nothing! Webster defines 'nothing' as being, "no thing, no part, one of no interest, value, or importance." He goes on to define 'nothing' as being, "something that does not exist, zero, a thing of little or no value or importance." When one is on vacation one is usually getting away from doing what one usually does. Most of us are perpetually doing 'something' most of the year. We have to because we want to take care of our families. So why do people feel compelled to do something during their very short time away from the something they are finally getting away from? I saw a man on the beach, the other morning, doing nothing. He was obviously enjoying being left alone with his music. He was playing his trumpet to the waves of the ocean and the reason no one noticed him, was because it was a very foggy morning. The sound of his trumpet was not only over-run by the thundering sound of the waves, but the fog also had the capacity to echo out the music this man, doing nothing, was making. I listened for what must have been only a few minutes because I did not want to break his mood. This person-doing-nothing played the most mellow and clear tones I have ever heard. Because he was somebody doing nothing, his only audience was the sea gulls and a hidden me. On a different stage, or a clearer day, this person is probably somebody just yearning to be left alone. I love watching people evolve on the beach. I consider myself blessed because I am allowed to live close to the beaches of York, but not too close, because I am forced to walk a few miles down Long Sands Beach to get to where I want to go. While walking I observe many different types people, trying to figure out why they came to visit something as desolate as a beach. During the first part of the weekend I watch some visiting families set up their designated area with their blankets and beach stuff. They always seem to organize themselves into a tight neat colony. They usually look very pale when compared to people who call the beach their home. It is obvious that the first part of their vacation is difficult for them as the parents look tense, and concerned for the safety of their children. The children, because they haven't yet learned about the stresses of life, go with the flow and enjoy all that the beach can offer them. Throughout the weekend the parents work hard at trying to relax. Walking past them, later on in the week, I watch the parents start to relax and enjoy their time in the sun as they no longer force a smile, or sit at the perfect angle to the sun. Their bathing suits are no longer perfectly formed and their arms and legs fall easier away from their chairs. Make-up and hairstyles are left behind, with beards starting to grow and tans beginning to darken. Even their designated areas on the beach become a bit disheveled, as the importance for order starts to wane and, by the end of the week, these families have gone through a total change. They are no longer stressed, or care about what they thought would be important during their time on the beach. At the end of the week they disappear with a new family taking their place, but I know they will return, for why wouldn't they want to? One of the most exciting sights, for me, is when I first observe young couples and see them appear year after year together in the sun. Then one year passes and I see that they are not alone: a mirror of their own lives now accompanies them. They always appear so proud! Year after year I watch them grow older and their babies grow bigger and sometimes visa-versa. Their memories never end; they just grow longer and older. I've almost lived here long enough to observe the babies of the summer grow into adults but, for now, I watch them grow to young children, radiating innocence and creating memories for their parents and all around them. During the summer season I enjoy watching people do nothing on the beach. They sit in their low beach chairs and stare into the wonders of our sea. They seem so mellow and, even though there is activity around them, they stay in their little world, contemplating nothing more important than themselves. Even children can get caught up in doing nothing: they are seen, sitting on the sand, slowly pouring this same sand into, and out of, a bucket, for no reason at all. They are learning to relax and enjoy what is around them. They are doing something that most of us have forgotten long ago: the art of doing nothing! I love watching the old do nothing. They finally figured out that doing nothing is a very important part of their lives and probably wish that they had figured it out earlier. I especially enjoy watching the older couples who plant themselves on the park benches to stare into the ocean, and reminisce about their own pasts. The old couples bring hope to us all but the old singles display such loneliness and despair that I dread the thought that, one day, I might live so long as to remember my memories alone. Some old couples lay their beach chairs precariously close, if not in, the way of the always-approaching waves. They know that with each large advance of water they will get wet but still close their eyes and react surprised as each new wave brushes their feet, and then wets their bottoms. Maybe this sharp sensation causes them to remember the first time they exchanged a similar feeling using each other. There is always a remarkable amount of things to do on the coast of New England but don't forget about a very important thing to do, away from your perpetual state of doing something: Don't forget to do nothing! The End.
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