The original title of this entry was supposed to be “The Calm Before The Storm” but then I looked through my previous posts and found out that there was already one with this title. So, I thought maybe I could postfix it with II but it wouldn’t look right. We’ll face innumerable storms in our lives, and whether we’ll weather it through will be very much dependent on our resolve. But a storm only comes once so very often. Tides, on the other hand, are daily occurrences; rising and falling with the pull of the sun and the moon.

We’re at low tide now. Where it is safe to stroll along the shoreline picking up shimmering seashells. It’s such a beautiful sight to behold, you can almost feel the softness of the sand on your bare soles. But stop, we need a reality check. Tides will rise. It’ll no longer be safe to stand too close to the water’s edge once the waves start getting stronger. A slip is all it takes to be swept away by the current. It always takes a tragedy to happen before we learn from it. But being humans, we’ll forget about it very soon and take safety for granted again.

Yes, the beach is an exciting and fun place to be in. There is no harm in frolicking in the sun by the seaside but we must not neglect the hidden dangers lurking below the surface. If you begin to see the coastline pushing inshore, you should know it’s time to start packing up and moving inland. You don’t want to get stranded when the tides start coming in because you’ll never know when the rollin’ waves will turn into a tsunami. There is always tomorrow when the tides become low again. Watch your step, go easy and keep a lookout for your friends. Play it safe cos’ you don’t want to become just another statistic. Trust me, I’ve been there.