A Day at the Beach With A Bag of Chips, A Beer, and a Couple of Lady Academics

It was my very last day in Halifax. I knew I wouldn’t be back in awhile. So, I convinced two busy female academics to take me to the beach. They were up for the challenge. We bought chips and beer on the way there.

Crystal Crescent Beach. I spent a lot of time there when I was in my 20’s. It’s as lovely and unspoiled as it was when I first encountered it way back when.

These women let their hair down, literally and figuratively. There is an easy, kind energy between them. I breathed it in, between gulps of clean salt air.

I envied them a little bit. Having colleagues who share your intellectual and ethical frameworks is an awesome thing indeed.

I walked behind them, taking pictures, while they talked about philosophy and pedagogy.

The sweet potato chips, made by a local company, were dusky, slightly sweet, and slightly salty. The air glittered on my skin. It was one of those glorious fall days, so full of grace because you didn’t expect it, not even a little bit.

What would it be like, to live without expectation?