We arrived in Douglas on Tuesday afternoon and immediately went to the beach. The water was clear and cold, but not unbearable.
The light passing through the trees had an otherworldly quality that reminded me how far I away I was from New York City, which -- no offense, New York City -- was a relief. Here the temperature was in the low 80s. We immediately began looking at real-estate listings.
Our rental house was a block away from the beach, which meant we had to share public access with everyone else who didn't own a mansion overlooking the lake. It wasn't a hardship, although it did make me question the fundamentals of our capitalistic system.
Did all of these people with million-dollar views deserve them? Had they worked harder in life? Were they somehow better? Given that we had recently been watching 'Below Deck,' which features hordes of vapid, idiotic b/millionaires, it seemed unlikely. But I also knew that I had been the beneficiary of uncountable advantages.
We are all pieces of driftwood in the ocean of time.
I wondered about the age of this rock.
And this stream of pebbles lining the shore.
We went to downtown Douglas, which is adorned with beautiful pocket gardens and gay flags. Can these people run for president, I thought.
I rented a bicycle, which I rode everywhere. As usual, I was disappointed with the quality and paucity of bike lanes, but drivers here tend to be more considerate than in New York City, where they are usually trying to kill you.
At dusk, we went back to the beach to watch the sunset.
It was a community event.
As predicted, the sun didn't disappear until 9:23. When, with a final, trembling sigh, it sank below the horizon, everyone cheered.
For once, it felt good to part of something.
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