My New Religion

November 17th, 2002

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Every sunday morning I get my self out of bed early and into my sunday best; a pair of board shorts, a sleeveless t-shirt and my flip-flops. 

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Then I drive the ten minutes to Laguna Beach where I sit outside at the Heidelberg Cafe` and take the sacrament which consists of cappuccino and some scrambled eggs and toast and follow it up with a walk on the beach where me and the celestial waters of the Pacific commune in blissful reverence.

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I sit in the sand and listen to the distant voices of the surfers as they bob up and down on their boards. I'm not always sure what they're saying but their sermons make me happy. I think surfers have a better idea than most what god is all about.

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The waves crashing against the rocks and the seagulls squalling along in three-part harmony are my sunday morning anthems. Sometimes lovers walk by holding hands and their quiet conversations become part of the music.

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On occasion a pod of dolphins will stop by on their way to Baja. My friend Lisa tells me they have messages for us but I can't always tell what it is they're saying. I'm sure though, that it has something to do with taking better care of our shared home.

If the ocean's not too cold, I go into the water and rebaptize myself and come back out onto the warm sand feeling renewed and revived. I close my eyes and feel the sun warming my skin and think that if there is a god, surely this is where she's living.

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And when my Sunday service on the sand is over, I walk back up the cliffs to the sidewalk and drop a few coins in the hands of the local shopkeepers. Sometimes it's more than 10% of my weekly earnings and sometimes it's a lot less. But whatever it is, it feels good to share my widow's mite with the Laguna Beach businesses, knowing that in doing so I help make sure they'll continue being there for my Sunday outings.

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Sometimes I come home from Sunday on the Beach services and crawl into bed with sand still all over me and take a nap. Then all throughout the week whenever I crawl into bed at night I feel the sand there next to my naked body and am reminded of the beach and why this new religion works so well for me.

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This is where my heart is. This is my religion.

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Tom

​Writing to you from the water's edge and on occasion of my birthday which was originally on 11-11-53