No Two Waves Are Alike: The Delight of Novelty

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.”
― Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Last winter’s endlessly nasty weather exhausted even me. I barely rebounded from walking two housebound dogs on icy pavements around Rittenhouse Square, when we needed to steel ourselves for the next below freezing bout. I welcomed spring like a deprived addict: sunshine, green marshes, chirping birds… and, my buddy of buddies, the omnipresent ocean. The Point at Stone Harbor welcomed me back, although too cold for swimming.
Sunday, May 25 seduced our local residents and guests to take their first plunge: the white capped waves, the confident guards smiled, and the surfboard brigade were in full force on the 95th street beach. Granddaughters Ava, 7, and Sara, 4 and a half, stopped briefly to admire the artful sand sculpture freshly crafted on the beach before being pulled into the water by squeals of delight from the 50 or so ocean swimmers, ages one to 70, whose high pitched exuberance compelled others to join in the fun.
And, what an ocean it was: warm, thrillingly alive with breaking white caps and, by the looks of the crowds, the coolest place on earth.
Next to me, a mother and daughter played in the water, looking positively Victorian in long white cotton party dresses. Laughing with abandon they looked like a Renoir pastel. The Mom, a graceful vision of about 30, proclaimed that this day was just what she needed. Invited to a party, she stopped at the beach with her two year old to greet the ocean, and then found swimming in their cotton party dresses irresistible.
Ava and Sara were hungry to return to “their” ocean. Giggling as the ocean swirled around their bodies, teeth chattering from 30 minutes in the 63-degree water, they proclaimed the day wonderful. Returning to our cottage, we reported that the ocean had dished up summer, creating giggling swimmers, and a froth of white wave foam. I surmised that this giggling ocean, filled with winter weary people, had created happiness at every beach nearby. We had lucked into a tsunami of happiness to start the summer right.
This is the second in a series about how to be happier this summer. But just what is there about an ocean swim that creates delight? A lifetime of ocean dipping, bobbing, swimming and diving leads me to attribute my joy to the surprise quality of each wave. No wave is like any other, no wave is predictable. Using my legs and brain to maneuver this uncertain turf, I am thrown into a whirlpool of surprise and heightened pleasure. No wonder that the newness of each ocean swim engages me fully till time stands still as I manage the constant surprises offered up by each surf filled moment.
Why do we love new experiences? Research tells us that our brains are attracted to novelty and that mastering new experiences improves our learning capacity. As familiar as the ocean is to me, each wave is new. And, because new experiences engage our full attention, they activate a “novelty center” in the brain, which responds to these unique stimuli. Called the SN/VTA, it is linked to large roles in learning and memory. Our encounters with completely new stimuli activate the most learning because each new stimulus creates a rush of motivation to explore. Exploration promises us a reward in learning and pleasure.
When we see something new, we see it has a potential for rewarding us in some way. This novelty motivates us to explore our environment for rewards. A seashore environment offers huge amounts of novel stimuli for your brain. To increase your awareness and your delight, set aside time to explore novel stimuli. Hunt down sea glass on a bay beach, meander turtle trails on the wetlands, watch the herons at sunrise. Invest your vacation moments each day to learn of a new life form, go to a new beach, and find a new shell. And, if the silly grin on your face tells you that life cannot be better, share this happiness with others. Sharing happy times cements our awareness and increases the joy of each moment.
To consider: what do you love most about seashore life? Do you find that exploring novel locations and creating new adventures is thrilling for you? If so, can you share that joy with others? You are likely to be glad you did.
To Read: Rachel Carson. The Sense of Wonder. 1998. Harper Row
Dr. Judith Coche is an inveterate beach goer and Clinical Psychologist. She works with individuals, couples and families in Stone Harbor as well as in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Find her at www.cochecenter.com.