I Went to the Seaside to Take a Rest, and Nary a Word Did I Write
Relaxation can cultivate creativity. Yet giving in to the impulse to work in these conditions undermines the point of taking a break.
I am pleased by the cadence of the title I chose, but worry not: this whole piece will not be an exercise in mediocre verse. I was compelled to write some poetry for an Intro to Creative Writing class last year and the cringe that I cringed while doing so will last me for the next decade, thank you very much. Let other pens dwell on meter and enjambment and rhyme; I quit such dizzying subjects as soon as I can.
In the bleak midsummer, I journeyed with my family to the coast. (Yes. Midsummer is bleak. If that phrase means little to you, then you clearly do not live in a part of the world subject to Oppressive Humidity.) My parents rented a cottage in Ocean City, New Jersey, and the many members of my family of origin — plus their spouses, significant others, and small children — descended upon it in twos and threes and fours throughout the course of a week. There was tumbling surf and boogie boarding and sunrise walks and sautéed shrimp, toddlers on boardwalk rides and sand in the sheets, and a fine film of sunscreen over it all. It was a glorious and magical time, refreshing and full of…
