Deja Vu?

A few months ago, I rose early one morning.  I cleaned my lenses, packed my camera and drove to one of my favorite, secret, secluded beaches.

The beach was deserted.

It was a beautiful, spectacular, morning.

I was thrilled to have the beach to myself, but not surprised.  It was early in the day still, and it was off-season.

I took a leisurely walk down the beach, snapping photos as I went.

After quite awhile, I turned around and walked back in the direction I came from.

And that's when I first saw him.

From a distance he was no more than a mere speck of red, sitting on some rocks out on the point.

"Annoying," I thought.

How dare he show up and ruin my solitude.

I walked toward him, because my final destination was the cove on the other side of the point.

As I approached, I knew he was as aware of my presence as I was of his - and yet, he ignored me. 

He sat there, taking in the beauty of the morning, with a cup of coffee in his hand.

I crossed the path behind him on my way to the cove.

"Beautiful morning," I said because I felt I had to say something.

"It really is," he agreed, still not looking in my direction.

And then, when I had taken one step past him, he asked, "Where are you going?"

I turned to face him.

At the same moment, he stood.

Our eyes met.

I've thought about that moment over and over again.

What happened next made no sense.  

Recognition.

Surprise.

I felt startled ... stunned, actually.  

He had a similar reaction.

He actually took a step backward, as if in shock.

"It's you!" my brain seemed to scream, but instead I just stared at him wide-eyed.

And then, we were talking ... making inane small talk.

I'm going to the cove.

You're a photographer?

I write about, and photograph, The OC. 

Do you live here?

Yes, right there ... (with a wave of his hand towards the homes on the sand).

It wasn't physical attraction.  

It wasn't romantic. 

It wasn't sexual.

It was unexplainable recognition of a total stranger, and it was so strong it was almost frightening.  There was no question we were both experiencing the same sense of overwhelming familiarity.

"I know him, but I've never met him.  This doesn't make sense," I thought.

But at the same time, for some reason - it did.

After a few minutes, I went on my way.  

I felt shaken and disconcerted by the encounter.

I hiked to the cove. 

I began shooting photo after photo.  Rocks, tide pools, waves, the bluffs ... click, click, click went the shutter.  With each photo I wandered a little further down the beach.

About twenty minutes went by.

I knew, before I looked up.  

I could feel him watching me.

I turned back, towards the point ... now fairly far away from where I was.

He stood there at the tip of the rocks.

Facing me.

Riveted.

He was wondering who I was, just like I was wondering who he was.

We stood there, staring across the distance, for a few minutes.

I turned away first.  Raising my camera to my eye, I began shooting again.

In time, I made my way back up to the point.  It was time to head home.

He was gone.

My eyes searched the houses ... one of which, is his home.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

All these months later ...

I still find myself wondering.

© Twenty Four At Heart 

Comments

[karen]

Hmmmmm.... sometimes with an encounter like this, a whole life can change direction. What a great story -

[WebSavvyMom]

-->I would love for you to run into him again.

Side note, your beaches are so different than ours. We don't have the cliffs and caves plus the homes "on" the beach still have to go over high dunes to get to the beach.
Here are a few samples from 4-wheeling last summer in the outer banks and seeing the wild ponies.
http://www.websavvymom.com/2010/06/wordless-wednesday-wild-horses.html

[Jan]

*Awesome* story - I hope this means you're feeling better.

[Tami]

Now I want to know who he is too. What beach is that? Lets go knock on doors until we find him.
: )

[Kelly]

Have you gone back? What if he sees this? Oh, I can't wait!

[Joey Morman]

The last time that happened to me I married him!

[Missy]

Thanks WebSavvyMom for sharing your photos. The east coast beaches are so different. I have been to the beach in New Hampshire and the beach has a totally different feel.

[Linda]

You have to go back... Go at the same time..you just never know..He might have been watching for you to return!
Sorry, I'm a romantic at heart.

[sandi]

Ae you ever going to get well enough to meet me for lunch? I want to go hunting for this guy with you. I will be your partner in crime!!

[schmutzie]

I've had that happen on several occasions, and it's startling every time. We recognize each other beyond our persons. It's magic.

[Di]

Love those houses and wish we could afford one as a secondary home for vacationing in... probably quite pricey just because of their location. FUN... how fun it would be to wake up and simply walk right out to the beach.

Di

[Heather]

Maybe he was someone semi-famous. Not super rock star famous but in enough TV commercials that you recognized him but didn't actually know him.

Or maybe it is magic. Yeah, I'd go with magic, it makes the story better!

[linda]

Reincarnation?????

[dogmother]

Someone amazing, I'm sure...your photos are changing exponentially, in a good way! Really! So proud!

[Nancy P]

Whoa! Interesting. I am fascinated by those kinds of things. I would have had to say, something to him about it. Why don't you go back and see if you run into him again?

[Crazy Lady]

I believe we were somewhere before here.. Maybe you HAVE met...

[Marissa]

You definitely have to go back ... that was as if written in a story, or screenplay. I wanna know tooooo ....

[Rob]

This is nice.

Your past crushes were based mostly on appearences.

This new crush seems more of a perception/feeling on your part.

Again, this is nice.

RL