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Nerve-racking!
Off the Wall
May 15, 2008
Sometime back, I was given a cassette tape of the
Cape Cod ocean surf titled, "Moods." Some people would
consider minutes of six seconds of ocean movement very relaxing.
But somehow for me, the gentle splashings against the rocks just
don't match up to the actuality of being there.
Yet, when I think of it, all one has to do is visit
a gift shop anywhere along one's vacation travels and lo and
behold, there it is, something preserved in a bag, a bottle,
or the like, to remind you of that heavenly spot of paradise.
There, too, I'm sure one will find any number of these recordings
that merchants want tourists to buy to remind them of their vacation
when they return home.
So, the question may pop up. Am I one of those people
who may purchase such a tape to reflect back the memory of my
times soaking up too much sun, getting sand embedded in my feet,
and viewing the scantily-clad females walking along the beaches?
The answer is easy. "NO!" There are two
reasons why I responded that way.
First, I have never been to Cape Cod. But water
splashing against the sand when high tide is up may sound appealing,
so it wouldn't matter what shore is visited. It is all the same,
right?
Not for me. I tend to get nervous listening to such
a tape. The anticipation remains, what's next? First I hear the
vibrations of a small ripple followed by the whooshing of the
waves upon the rocks. In the background are faint conversations
of seagulls probably saying to each other, "What's that
young lady doing down there with that machine? Do you suppose,
Harry, she is listening to our plans of making off with her French
fries in that little white container by her side?" he commented.
"Don't worry, Ethel. I don't think she is on
to us."
I cornered a friend of mine when I got this cassette
tape and told her she would have a real treat ahead of her by
listening to it. I knew that if I told her I was going to play
her a mood tape, she might suspect I had something other than
listening to the tape in mind (if you know what I mean). After
I attracted her attention, I pushed the "play" button
and proceeded to let her take in the fullness of that salty air
romance.
What do you suppose was the result?
In less than a minute, I was "politely' instructed
to push the "off" button terminating those tidbits
of tranquility. I felt at peace knowing that others felt as I
did concerning this experience.
Then a thought occurred to me. Maybe this recording
should be used during a time of meditation or devotion.
Imagine sitting down, opening your Bible to I Corinthians,
reading the passages for the day, and then, before going
into a time of prayer, turning to the recorder, pushing the "play"
button allowing the background accompaniment to begin. I sense
the following would occur:
"Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you today
in thankfulness and praiseswoosh, swooshsplashthat you have blessed
me abundantlytweettweettweet tweet. Somehow that intimate relationship
with God is suffering from invasion. With the thundering attack
of such force against the rocks, the sounds of the surf almost
sound threatening.
Maybe I should seek out a tape recording of rain
falling on the top of a roof. At least I will know of its anticipated
movements. I find that more comforting somehow.
As for peace and tranquility I have concluded that
there are other ways to find them. Instead of getting a "Moods"
tape of my summer vacation, I will sit and pensively visualize
the many ways God has blessed me and in so doing, perceive the
calmness that He provided for my peace and relaxation. What's
more gratifying than that?
Paul J. Volkmann
4/18/08
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