Discovery

So I've had a 2010 parking sticker for Seaside Park since this spring, but I had yet to go there.  So many people had told me it was the greatest beach around.  "Oh, yes, Seaside Beach is beautiful!" they'd tell me.  But I had my own preconceived notions.  How beautiful can a beach on the Long Island Sound be?  I'm accustomed to the beautiful open waters of Maine.  So far my experience of Connecticut's shore has been sadly lacking.  And Bridgeport - that's an industrial port city.  How can there be a beautiful beach in an industrial port city?

I love the ocean, so I kept thinking about that sticker in my glove compartment.  "I should get down there to check it out," I'd tell myself.  But my summer's been full of all kinds of activity.  And I kept allowing myself to be discouraged by the drive through Bridgeport, which I imagined would take forever, since I feel like it takes forever just to get to St. Vincent's Hospital, which is not that far into the city and right down the road from here.  I also kept telling myself it would be too hot, or the place would be too crowded, or that there were other more important things I had to attend to first.  So I didn't get there all summer.

The view of the sound from the beach

But today I happened to have this gloriously sunny morning free, and I decided that since my dog, who likes walking in the woods, is up in NH, maybe I'd finally take myself down to Seaside Park to check it out and take my walk there.  ("Is it long enough for a good walk?" I wondered to myself.)  So I headed straight down Park Avenue, because someone had told me that that's the easiest way to get there.  Just go south on Park Avenue all the way to the end and there you are.  I was surprised that Park Avenue seemed much easier to navigate than Main Street, and I got there in only about 15 minutes.

The jetty out to the lighthouse

Well, if you've ever been to Seaside Park, you know what I found.  There are 325 acres of nice lawns and ball fields peppered with tall, mature trees, three miles of beautiful, clean beaches, and an impressive rock jetty that leads out to a picturesque light house.  The park was designed in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in NYC, and was developed and promoted by PT Barnum.   There are bath houses, snack stands, bike paths, pretty statues, beautiful ocean vistas and, my favorite, lots of ocean rocks and shells.  In short, it is beautiful there - even more beautiful than people said it was, and by far more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be.

My piles of rocks

Best of all, I found a spot to pile rocks.  (for more about piling rocks, see my post from April 29)  This is one of the most centering and relaxing activities I can think of, and I really miss being able to get to Kittery Point Beach to do it.  Until today, I hadn't found a place in CT that felt inviting for rock piling.  I was home!

Miles of Beach

And I thought to myself that this discovery of mine is kind of what people go through with faith.  Other people can tell you all they want about how wonderful it is, but until you really decide to go there yourself, you'll never know what it's about.  You can harbor lots of preconceptions about what faith is like, and your preconceptions can keep you away for a long time.  Your life can also be so full that you don't end up taking the time to go there.  Other things just seem more pressing, and your faith takes a back seat.

Memorial to those lost at sea

But once you finally do go, you discover a beauty that pretty much takes your breath away, and you want to go there again and again.  You find things there that remind you who you really are.  You find your home.  You wonder why it took you so long. 

I sure am glad I took the time to check out Seaside Park.  Trust me - it won't be long before I'm back there again.