It was a homage, a yearning to fulfill. I had to see the beach again. I had to rise upon the dunes and sense the wind across the sea. As I sailed on my tricycle along the winding pathway through the green corridor, I asked myself, “Would I admonish myself for not having tried?”

But where was a trouble-free entry point? For the past month as I raced effortlessly from South Beach Racquet Club toward Tower Beach I had repeatedly glanced inquisitively at the long Beach Access from Gadwall Road. Or was it Black Duck Place? It might have been Brown Pelican Road. It was the usual narrow line of square paving stones through a broad public avenue of pine needles on sandy loam wending toward a distant boardwalk arising precipitously over the high wall of dunes toward the sea.

At the start of my cycle today, I hurriedly passed by the Beach Access as I have always done, squinting to see the distant boardwalk, wondering how difficult it might be to accomplish the elevation, then once again passing by, continuing beneath the sea pines and Palmetto ferns bent upon my routine exercise. But on my return today – and after having passed by it once again – I turned around at the next intersection and proceeded carefully onto the Beach Access toward the sea. At first I maneuvered along the tapered paving stones but shortly I succumbed to the pine needles instead. It wasn’t as difficult as I had anticipated.

Soon I reached the wooden boardwalk.  It was wider than the paved stones.  But its preferred width contrasted with its rising elevation. Nonetheless that too I overcame though with maximum effort. In fact I had to descend from the tricycle and push it up the latter portion of the boardwalk. At the top I regained my seat and regarded the beach and the sea.  The tide had receded. There were cyclists on the beach nearby the shore.

The credentials of my day had been achieved. The innate recommendation had insinuated my being for another day. I could say to myself, “Yes, you have done it. You got there!” A woman pushing her bicycle along the boardwalk squeezed past me, sharing a positive greeting as she did so. She and I shared as well a common goal. The unwritten imperative was evident.