Etiquette on the Beach

Mornings are my favourite part of my stay by the seaside. Time that I take for myself - for my mental and physical wellness. Moments for a deep breath, a conversation with myself, sometimes even for a personal inventory. If this is in an idyllic natural environment, as if an artist impressionist had painted it on his artistic canvas, it is all the more beautiful. This very metaphor has appeared before my eyes when I arrived to the camp and unlocked the door of the mobile house. A house which, as soon as I entered, became a holiday villa for me. In the blink of an eye I knew that this would be the perfect place for to spend my days off luxuriously, comfortably and at high quality.

Interesting. In tranquil, fresh mornings, brakes are released, obstacles in the head erased, ideas encouraged, decisions and wishes put up onto their feet, ready to become actions, they confidently spread their wings.

So, on that summer morning as well, I leave very early from the house to the beach, confident that my company will be only waves that will dance in the rhythm of a gentle breeze and chirping of the birds.

Oops, I was wrong. The beach is not empty. Well, it does not matter if there were people who, like me, love peace and an endless view of the sea. But there were only ... towels and pillows. Many of ones and the others. Here and there, there were also rocks on some of them. Surprised, I carefully, to not step on any, walk among them, to find at least a little bit of space for myself. I'm looking at them and I think my own thoughts. I touch two, three, and find out that they are wet from the humidity. So they were not put there by people who were even earlier than me and think that the early bird gets the worm. These are people who do not know the etiquette, who do not care about manners, and have laid their towels there a day earlier. Just in case …

I refuse to think negative thoughts and this doesn't derail me, but I do get another confirmation that etiquette should be spoken of again and again. I get confirmation that seemingly simple, general and self-evident rules and recommendations are not like that for everyone. That some people violate them intentionally or unintentionally.

Well, my morning is mine and I perform the "ritual" as always. I do not allow bad thoughts, negative energy, fatal anger into it...In a small space, surrounded by painted towels and air mattresses with countless patterns, I say a hymn to nature and to life. A hymn to the fact that I am here and now. With an entirely definite purpose, like every one of us. With many possibilities and opportunities to awaken the potential within me and do everything I want in my life. I know that the universe supports me in that. The universe listens to all the ideas, desires ... that are for the benefit of the individual and at the same time do not threaten others.

When the early morning begins to retreat to the coming day, the otherwise small beach begins to fill. I, of course, also with a professional (de)formation, observe people and their behavior. I find out that this entire "battlefield" is actually the creation of three families.

Hmmm, interesting, a lot of towels and mattresses, even when I already retreat into the safe shelter of the shade at the royal house, which is my home and office at the same time, remains unoccupied. And they stay like that late into the afternoon when I return to the coast again. "Interesting," I think. So, for some, the reservation is valid "just in case", and for several days. Even if they are not on the beach. Really preventive - "just in case".

Upon the afternoon arrival to the beach, I get some more ideas for this entry in practice. My intention to successfully entwine swimming and reading a book on the beach has not materialized. In particular, the second part was impossible since, close to me, otherwise very nice teenage girls, had a loudspeaker from which loud music was constantly blaring. Of course not the music of my choice - the representative of the generation X, but the generation Z. Noisy, it impolitely drowned out all other sounds on the beach and unpleasantly ate into my ears.

A bit bitterly, but I still believe that it's justified of me to think that beaches should also have notice or warning signs. They would contain something similar to what I am about to write below.

Be aware that you are not alone on the beach.
Listen to music in such a way that you do not impose it on others.
Do not scream and laugh like you're in your own house.
The beach is not your property and you are not a professional flooring layer, so you must not overfill it with towels and mattresses.
We do not accept space reservations. 
Garbage does not enjoy its time on the beach.
Cigarette butts should travel from the beach with their owner.

Well, there is a number of ways in which we can write down the rules of the etiquette for behaviour and actions on the beach. Thereby we can be more or less original, but the result is clear.

1. We do not reserve space on the beach with pre-laying of towels and air mattresses.
2. We do not play music through speakers, telephones, without headphones.
3. We talk and laugh so that we do not disturb anyone with it.
4. We clean up after ourselves - we put the waste into the bin if one is near, or take them from the beach with us. Of course, these include cigarette butts.

Well, there are not all that many rules for behaviour on the beach for one to have to learn them by heart and be burdened by them. They should be an integral part of culture of us all and proper behaviour should be automatic, without excessive thinking.

The beach is also subject to the basic etiquette rule, which states, that an individual should act towards others as they wish for others to act towards them. A test for this, if ever you are in a dilemma, is very simple. Step into someone else's shoes and ask yourself, "What would I want in this situation?" How would I feel if others were acting the way I intended to now? "

I'm not a conflict-prone person. I am calm and resourceful. As a water that avoids an obstacle if, at a given moment, it is important, I adjust myself or find a more appropriate way. Just like the running water finds it... So, in the days when towels were spending whole days with each other on the beach, later joined by impolite owners, I found minutes and hours for peace and a creative atmosphere a few meters away, in the shelter of pine trees, which were happy to take me under their wing next to the holiday villa. With a pinch of extra imagination, I could feel like a queen during these days when I was staying in an Adria Dom house. A queen who lives in luxurious rooms with all the comfort they offer, and despite the spatial proximity to the rest of the events, due to its excellent location, far from the crazy world. Physically and mentally.