CONVERSATIONS WITH NATALIE
BY
HELEN GIBBS POHLOT
With the oppressive humidity finally gone and a nice breeze blowing off the ocean, it was a perfect beach day.
Standing by the water’s edge waiting for the surf to engulf my aching feet, a little girl and her mother came over and stood next to me.
“Do you see those ships out there?” the little girl asked me. “Mommy says they came from the other side of the world.”
“I think your Mom is right. I always wonder where they came from,” I replied a bit startled by the child’s directness.
The little girl whom her mother called Natalie looked to be around three or four years old. She counted 11 big ships anchored about a half mile off the shore at Long Beach, New York.
“Natalie, there are also a couple big fishing boats out there as well,” added Natalie’s mother who introduced herself as Ann.
Are these boats here all the time or is this a special day?” Natalie asked me.
“I am pretty sure boats anchor here all the time prior to going into the port of New York,” I said. “The ships come from all over the world and have to wait in line to dock. I also think that they have to go through some type of security check before entering the port.”
Natalie was very pleased with her newfound knowledge of the ships. I was happy to share it with her. When I first came to Long Beach I noticed the ships anchored off the coast. My curiosity got the best of me. I researched why they were there and where they came from.
Suddenly our conversation came to an abrupt halt as a frisbee whisked past our heads. Water splashed everywhere as a young man about 16 made a mad dive for the frisbee directly in front of us.
He hit the water hard. We were not sure if he was hurt so we rushed over to help.
Probably more embarrassed than hurt, the teenager yelled, “I got it.” He stood up with wobbly knees holding the Frisbee.
Natalie just shook her head. “That boy is silly. He almost ran into us and didn’t even say he was sorry,” she said with dismay.
Ann and I burst out laughing because we thought the same thing, but only Natalie had the courage to speak her mind.
After the teenagers dive in the water, we all were soaked. So much for gradually getting use to the water temperature.
“We might as well jump the waves since we are already wet,” Natalie suggested.
With two sprained ankles, I wasn’t exactly in wave jumping shape however, I couldn’t resist Natalie’s request.
Here comes a big one,” Natalie cried out excitedly as we positioned ourselves to jump over it.
Success, with no further injury. I was very happy.
Natalie, Ann and I spent the next hour talking, jumping the waves and swimming. We had so much fun, I forgot my ankles hurt.
As we resumed our original position at the water’s edge. Natalie made some interesting observations. She pointed to a young girl and her dad collecting armfuls of seaweed to adorn a sand castle they were building.
“Look at all the stuff that girl is carrying from the ocean. She is making some kind of a wall around her sand castle,” Natalie said.
Suddenly the life guard blew her whistle and signaled for them to come within the flags designated for swimming. When they didn’t respond, the lifeguard ran over and told them to get out of the water. It put an end to the seaweed gathering, but the girl and her dad continued the sand castle with a smaller seaweed wall.
Watching the things children do at the beach never ceases to amaze me, Natalie felt the same way. About 10 feet to our right, two girls about 11-years-old were doing cartwheels and backflips on the sand. It was remarkable as they did one after another.
“I really want to learn how to do that when I grow up,” Natalie said.
“Believe it or not, when I was young I was able to do at least 10 cartwheels in a row,” I said proudly. “Now, I’d probably break a hip and end up in traction, but I do remember that the key to doing a good cartwheel is to keep your body in line.”
We watched the girls do all kinds of gymnastics. Several other friends joined them and before we knew it a small crowd gathered to watch the impressive display of athleticism.
Natalie joined in and tried do a few flips with the help of the older girls. Ann and I cheered her on.
Around four o’clock, it was time for all of us to head home. Sharing conversation and observations with the delightful Natalie and her Mom made for a truly enjoyable day. It reminded me of spending time with my beautiful niece Kathryn and her little girl. I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if they were standing on a beach with me. Someday?