The Ocean's Affiliate

I stare out at the ocean, breathing in the sweet, salty air as I admire the colors of the sun setting over the horizon. Everything is calm, the epitome of how I wish my life was. The bright, orange, yellow and red beams of the sun reach up to the sky, painted on a dark blue canvas as night begins to take over. The sound of the ocean whispers in my ear, filling my mind with a jumble of voices that will only ever make sense here; on this patch of grass, surrounded by thick forest, overlooking the sea, and now; one week into my two month summer; the only day of the year when I can truly be alone. I shuffle my feet inch by inch in an attempt to move forward and peer over the side of the cliff. Every year, I know what sight awaits me and each time I promise myself that I won't look again. I'll never look again. But no matter what I do, I always find myself perched on the edge of the cliff, leaning over an alcove scattered with rocks, watching as the ocean crashes into a wall of stone one hundred feet below.

I reach the edge, and grab hold of a tree branch hanging nearby. Slowly, I begin to lean forward, trusting the branch with my weight; and with my life. I am not scared; I can't afford to be. As always, I know that I have to invest all of my faith in the tree that is currently preventing me from plummeting to my death, and in the small outcropping of rock that serves as my perch, granting me a panoramic view of the ocean and beaches sprawled out before me. I continue to lean forward, pulling my free hand up behind my head to extract the purple tie from the tangled mess of dirty blonde that is my hair. Without a second thought, I drop the tie onto the ground and use my foot to shove it off the side of the cliff, watching as it begins its dive into the ocean. Next, I throw my head back, spreading my arms apart as much as possible without letting go of the branch I am clinging to, and I let the wind blow around me, circling my body with a tornado of salty gusts. And finally, I am free.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, letting my mind wander. I imagine that I am flying; that I can see everything that happens in the world below. I can see each person that wanders on the sidewalks and trails. I can hear each individual leaf rustle on its branch as the wind begins to blow. I can taste the dust rising from the ground as a car begins to rattle and bounce on a dirt road leading to a small lake in the middle of the woods, somewhere far away from here. I can feel the world and now I am sure, more than anything, that I can change the world too.