All Women

Yesterday as I walked the beach of Siesta Key, I observed the women walking up and down the beach. There were all kinds. College girls with the newest swimsuits and belly rings paced the beach hoping to be spotted by some group of college guys who were Spring Breaking as well. Thirty something Moms who had been those college girls just a few short years ago, were now chasing toddlers down the beach and digging in the sand with plastic buckets. Their discovered college guy was right beside them attempting to impress his toddler with an elaborate sand castle. A group of ladies paraded their class of 1961 shirts as they lined up for pictures on the beach. I could not decide if they were high school or college friends who had continued to spring break well beyond the spring break years. Ladies, who had left their homes in November who were still here until the spring had come to the north, passed by on their daily walks. There were junior high girls trying to hook up with a few junior high guys. One girl was ruling the roost, while another tried to edge in, and the third really didn’t care. On the public beach, there was even more variety. There were ladies with coolers of beer, there were ladies with umbrellas, and ladies with layers of tanning oil. There were a group of four college age girls who were Muslim wearing their black drapes in the hot sun still enjoying the beach. There were ladies who were trying to sneak into a pick up volleyball game and others who observed so called “cool guys” trying to boogie board on the waves. As I walked back to where I was staying, I observed five Mennonite girls in their simple ware coming out of their condominium. They were giggling and trying to decide who was going to take each other’s pictures.

I had to review the walk in my mind. All of these women were so different, yet very much alike. They all were on spring break, holiday, vacation, or winter retreat. They all wanted to be accepted and loved. They all wanted to be noticed in their own way. They were all women. The Mennonite girls were by far the most happy and the college girls were the most hip. But no matter what background, they were all women with the same needs and emotions. It was just a slice of the pie, but it showed me how much we are all the same..