I fell in love with the beach when I first moved to Los Angeles. I was lucky to live only minutes from our favorite spot. Norman and I would get there early, just after sunrise on most mornings. We’d walk the shoreline, talking and sharing our dreams.

I liked to go early because of the low tide and the abundance of seashells and smooth stones I found. Sometimes, I wanted to keep a shell because of its color or shape. I didn’t care if it was cracked or not complete. But Norman always liked to look for complete shells. We also had different preferences on the rocks. I liked the smooth ones with unique shapes. Norm liked round ones with deep colors.

If I asked Norm, “Should I keep this one?”

He would usually respond, “No, let’s keep looking.”

Although I trusted his judgment, I had a tough time letting go of the pieces I found. Norm was usually right and as we continued down the shore, we would find a better shell or rock.