Image Alex Leadbeater
Waves of thought
HOT’s Zelly Restorick was sitting on the beach at Fairlight, watching the waves rolling in and out – and had the thought that each wave is a totally unique wave. We call them ‘waves’, as a collective generalisation. However, no two waves are the same, nor have they ever been – the exact same composition, movement and timing – in the history of the planet and the sea.
Sometimes thoughts like this are mind-blowing.
Image Alex Leadbeater
Like the fact that every breath we take is a unique breath. Never before breathed in our individual personal history – or our shared human history – in the exact same circumstances. Never before breathed in the history of the planet. Yet we talk about ‘we’re breathing’, like all our breaths are the same chemical composition, same depth, etc. They’re not – each one is unique.
The waves and our breath might seem the same – and we might generalise and call them ‘the waves’ and ‘the breaths’ as if there is only one type of cloned wave or breath. But they are all entirely unique.
Image Alex Leadbeater
Like taking about ‘people / humans’ or ‘dogs’ or ‘cats’ – we use this term as a generalisation, yet every ‘person’, ‘dog’ and ‘cat’ (‘bird’, ‘fish’, ‘insect’, ‘micro-organism’, ‘particle’, etc) is a unique individual.
Unique in time and space.
Image Alex Leadbeater
YOU are unique in the history of this planet.
There has never been another you in the history of our shared evolution.
Let that sink in.
There’s NEVER been another you.
EVER.
Image Alex Leadbeater
Website for Alex Leadbeater, professional artist and Facebook page.
Much appreciation to Alex for allowing me to use her fabulous images of individual waves in this article.
If you’re enjoying HOT and would like us to continue providing fair and balanced reporting on local matters please consider making a donation. Click here to open our PayPal donation link. Thank you for your continued support!
6 Comments
Please read our comment guidelines before posting on HOT
Leave a comment
(no more than 350 words)
Also in: Around and about
What I LOVE @ Hastings & St Leonards on Sea »
Thank you Ben for your words. Very much appreciated.
Comment by Zelly Restorick — Monday, Jul 11, 2022 @ 10:42
I appreciate you responding, Ken.
My thoughts are that each wave – cloud/snowflake/human/dog/butterfly – is made up of unique ingredients at a molecular/particle level and is appearing at a unique time and space. There’s never been another Ken Davis with your unique history and make-up/nature and nurture – not in the history of the planet. Waves and clouds and people might look similar, but how can they repeat themselves…? The content of the sea and sky are constantly changing on a molecular level.
I hear what you’re saying though – and acknowledge and respect our different perspectives!
Comment by Zelly Restorick — Monday, Jul 11, 2022 @ 10:41
I think there are waves which repeat, we just don’t know it! Spoil sport.
…..and clouds, and snowflakes, etc.
Comment by ken davis — Monday, Jul 4, 2022 @ 11:31
What a lovely article! Effective in its brevity, poignant in its wavy nature! And a profound idea to combine Zelly Restorick’s text with Alex Leadbeater’s moving paintings. Altogether an artful presentation. More of word/art combo thoughtful articles, please!
Comment by Ben Fairlight — Monday, Jul 4, 2022 @ 08:37
THANK YOU for the beautiful paintings. I’ve had a lot of feedback about how lovely they are. And I can’t tell you how pleased I am to hear that my words resonated with your thoughts. I love that sort of synchronicity.
Comment by Zelly Restorick — Sunday, Jul 3, 2022 @ 07:28
Amazing to see my work featured in HOT Hastings Online Times which totally resonated with my ideas.
Waves constantly change in their journey to reach the shore. Each one is individual but is connected to the rest.
Many waves, one ocean, all part of an ebb and flow, mirroring life
Thanks for writing such a lovely article Zelly!
Comment by Alex Leadbeater — Saturday, Jul 2, 2022 @ 09:08