Crescent beach wasn’t glamorous but it the only place that’s been there my entire life. The waves crash against the shore and the sandy beach always welcome me home. The stairs up the cracked wall lead to the old house that creaks and gowns in storms. It has learned to give a little instead of always putting up stiff resistance. I could learn from that house.

Me and my brother go out on a small sailboat, a sunfish, and we cut back and forth across the bay skimming on our side and slashing through the waves the water flies up in droplets that catch and reflect the sun back at us. We start bonfires create sand castles and shoot off fireworks, and we dig holes just for the fun of it. As the week goes on we see how long it takes for the water to collapse and fill our hole.

When I stand on the beach the wind coming off of the lake sweeps through my mind and pushes away my worries, concerns, and responsibilities. The water clear and warm in the shallows but go out further and you start to cut yourself on rocks and get trapped by sea weed. The only escape is the sand bar. My brother and I always race to get out there first, past the rocks and weeds, and then play in the sandy shallows separated from the shore. I can see the mini undersea dunes, so perfect until feet ran through them disturbing their stoic rows in pursuit of a wayward ball flying through the air above the surface.

Me and my brother kayak out to the point to watch birds and go through the small, shallow, pools looking over the side for adventure. When I go to the right spot the remnants of the old pier rise from the murky depths to greet you. The birds wheel in the and then glide down to land on the rocks and perch there waiting and resting till they fly again.

Thunderstorms sometimes came across the water and I can always see the lightning striking the water and hear the thunder rattle the shore. Fire and water brought to together for a moment and the whole beach can hear their dissonance. At night, I could have cut the silence with a knife, or a wave. When I stay up late and read and its dark out you can’t tell where the sea ends and the sky begins, as if it’s all one ocean.

Even in the winter we could go to crescent beach to play on the 20 foot snow drifts, I would climb through the gritty snow to reach the summit and look at the lake from you mushy stand point. Then I would jump forward and slide down the slope side like a penguin even though it soaked me to the bone. Once I hit the bottom, I would walk out onto the ice covering the lake, always being careful and listing for the crack that would make me sprint for the beach.

I sit on the porch today just gazing out at the sea I’m fourteen and I’m still not tired of this beautiful beach, is see kids playing in the sand and people roaring by in jet skis. Then, I hear a dog bark and I’m taken back 11 years. All in all it was a beautiful day, yet there were seagulls circling like vultures and I remember the smell of dead fish. A bank of storm clouds off the shore, as if promising that the current peace was fragile just waiting to be shattered. I was three years old and understandable short and uncomprehending. This meant that when I saw the dog, even though it was a puppy, it was a towering monster. I saw it. Saw it coming, and did the only thing that made sense to me but was probably the worst thing that I could have done. I ran. I flat out 100% ran and didn’t stop. Adrenalin rushing through my veins. But of course my legs were short and of course a dog is fast so of course I lost the race and the dog caught me. I fell, I landed, I hurt. Then the dog was upon me clawing my back. I didn’t understand that it was just trying to play, but how could I.

I just remember a black shadow holding me down. I cried, screamed, and yelled. My heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn’t get away, It couldn’t have lasted more than 5 seconds but to me it was a life time. The dog was taken off me, I was taken inside, my back was scratched but not bleeding, and everything was fine, eventually. After that day I was always nervous around dogs because I could never trust them, for a while.