Being with the Gulls

I look at the Gulls on todays photo and ask myself: What is your deepest desire? What do you await, expect to give you that experience of inner peace and happiness? Is that the Gift of your daily bread? Like the Gulls are waiting for the Snack to be thrown up? Now, this is not an ordinary need or desire to be fulfilled. You do not have to be an common materialist or hedonist to realize that taking care for your daily nutrition is a very honorable affair. Leave out culinairy delights and prestigeous cooking, preparing a simple good meal may be counted among the elementary blessings of life. As is the case with sharing your meal with companions, animals included. This means that there is no ultimate ground for eating your companions instead of sharing your food with them. Gulls do not only contest each other a big catch but they share too. I have seen that.

But again, does the satisfaction of having prepared and sharing a good meal give you “an experience of inner peace and happiness”? Suppose you had the opportunity of being served all the delicacies of Your Favorite Cook or even Kitchens in the World? Could it still be possible that you would still have the inner feeling that “something is lacking”? And this goes not only for La Grande Bouffe and the Big Drink, but literally for Anything you might have had or still have on your Basic Shopping List. Including Housing, Family Love, Friendship, Money, Recognition. And let us add more to those Life Ambitions: Art, Literature, Science, Sports.You name it and you got it All. And my question still remains: are you in touch with that experience of inner peace and happiness, that source of The Basic Smile? Or is there something failing? Do you feel under pressure, because the Internet Connexion does not work. Could it be that underneath such an everyday irritation, a feeling of Guilt is lurking? Guilt over an unlived life, guilt about missing your vocation?

Today I had my swim among these Fishing Gulls and after dressing up again I stayed some time with them, experiencing their living with the great sea. I was in awe. And as I left the surf filled with awe and silence, I saw a young couple walking towards that bunch of Seabirds, staying there, looking into the rough walzing surf, staying and looking. Maybe they experienced this inspiring happening at the seaside in another way, Their unique way.
But I can tell you tonight, that in all its simplicity this Being with the Gulls gave me an experience of inner peace and profound happiness.