Yesterday, I stood with Pelican on the shore before getting into the Pacific, observing long beak, striking eye, elegant posture, ridges and valley on the back. Pelican stood as the sole pelican on sea vegetables and shells and life accumulated on the shore.

I hopped on the surfboard and paddled out for my 7th consecutive day surfing. There were about 30 other surfers out there. I was catching and missing waves. I was off to one edge of the surfing crowd. Pelican landed about 10 feet (3 meters) away from me on the ocean surface. Suddenly, I was in conversation with Pelican, an intimate space created. "Hello, beautiful," I said. Me, Pelican, Water. We drifted even closer together, and with a combination of sound and gesture, I indicated that I was there to be with them.

"Let's get a wave," I said. Pelican was right there...we were eye to eye. "This one?" I asked. “No,” we decided. Next wave rolling in; “Nah, not this one either,” we decided. Third wave, "Yes, this is the one!" As the wave just started to crest, Pelican took flight off in the direction of shore. I still had a few seconds before I was with the wave, and I committed to myself and Pelican that this was the one. And, there I was, up on the board. My first long wave ride, one that I declare as my first real wave. I stood and wobbled as far as the wave would take me.

Not me, but something like this^^

Though school and society and parents and advertising and on and on may have taught us that communication with non-humans is not real, there is not much greater bullshit than there is in such teachings. I have experienced communication with other beings repeatedly in my life, and many others have shared their experiences with me.

I had just been experimenting with a friend earlier in the day about feeling anger, sadness, fear, and joy consciously. We talked a bit afterwards about the feeling of joy - what is the sensation? How do I know if I've felt it? Well, I felt it on and after that wave and I have a reference point now. I let out some "yips" and smiles and was there with Joy close to shore. The joy was because of the sheer beauty of the whole experience - the conversation with Pelican, the Ocean, the being with a wave, the reminder that fucking up and 7 days of "looking bad" can eventually lead to something beautiful. Thank you, Pelican, thank you, ocean, and thank you, all the elements and beings that make this life what it is and can be. Thank you, feelings and emotions.