The Shell Seeker
Guest Author Ashley Oliphant
When I posted last week’s thoughts on the pace of our world these days, I had not yet read the author’s postscript of my daughter’s newest book, but as it happens on a regular basis, our minds very frequently run on the same rail. And if you love beachcombing, this is your book.
It’s hard to imagine that after writing this whole book I still have something to say. But I do, and it might be the most salient thing of all. Our culture has fooled us into believing we should always be overcommitted and busy, busy, busy. We’re encouraged to wear our burnout as a badge of honor. Multitasking is prized over focus. As the world around us accelerates, humans are losing their ability to hear their own inner voices. The result is a population that’s increasingly not equipped to unplug and truly relax their bodies and minds.
I think that’s where the ocean comes in. I would encourage you to drop something that is weighing you down and use the extra time to go to the beach instead. The beachcomber is a naturally curious soul, and curiosity as a trait is a self-sustaining coping tool. I’m fully convinced that the sea will heal you if you allow it.
But to get to that point, you have to let yourself get lost in the wonder of what Mother Ocean deposits on the shore every morning. She’ll be your best friend if you let her, and she’ll give you the freedom to be yourself in whatever bizarre capacity your true colors might shine.
Her gifts are also free for the taking, yet so few of us recognize that generosity. It’s a wonderland out there, but your eyes have to be fully open to see it. In doing nothing for a little while, you’ll actually be doing the most important thing you could ever do for yourself. Listen to your intuition when it says you need to stop and put some salt air in your lungs. It’s that intuition that keeps us alive. Never doubt it.
Dr. Ashley Oliphant
From The University of Georgia Press review of the book:
A veteran beachcomber offers an inside look into the exciting complexities of shell seeking
The Ultimate Shell Seeker’s Guide is the book that beachcombers have been anxiously waiting for an expert to finally write. Join Dr. Ashley Oliphant as she reveals the secret calculus that the best beachcombers in the world are constantly working in their brains as they decide when and where to plan their next hunt. This is not just another identification guide that offers species names and descriptions. Instead, this book is a practical field manual that puts the reader on the beach with one of the most well-known beachcombers in the country. Oliphant reveals the insider knowledge that so many veteran collectors want to keep hidden from newcomers to the hobby, including where to hunt and how to read the tides, moon phases, wind directions, wave heights, and seasonal fluctuations that have such a dramatic impact on beachcombing success. The text delivers the foundational information that beginners need but then advances beyond those fundamentals to offer experienced hunters more complex strategies to help improve their game. Along the way, readers will be entertained by Oliphant’s unique personal stories and enthusiastic outlook—both of which have made her such a sought-after speaker on the national circuit.
Excerpts from the book reprinted with permission of the author.