Feeling restless, I went to the beach yesterday. I took a long walk up and down the empty stretches of sand. There were intermittent rain showers, and the waves were heaving and dark green. There were very few people there. A couple of lonely fishermen standing at the edge of the water, a couple of walkers like myself. Back up on the boardwalk, I looked down at the wide shoreline, and saw ….
a woman in a wedding dress. Standing all by herself down by the water.
I am sure there was some rational explanation. But I am not interested in rational explanations.
I am interested in the story possibilities of such a moment as this.
Tragedy comes to mind. Wedding that didn’t happen, early death of spouse, or anniversary rememberance? My thoughts are going wild. No bride before the wedding walks the beach, too much fear of ruining dress….so what is going on? Has to be tragic.
Lisa in Fort Worth
Or photo shoot gone awry? Photographer got the wrong day?
Hi, Sheila, I hope you connected with her in some way. Not to get the full story (that would be rude), but just because she was probably interesting. Anyway, I envy you the beach. Would never live on LBI again, but do miss it. I occasionally drive across the entire state of NH to Portsmouth from Keene and it’s worth it. Got to Maine for a few days and that was good, too. But still miss NJ. Stay well.
Nope. Didn’t connect with her at all.
I prefer the image to the reality. More “scope for imagination,” as Anne of Green Gables says.
Thoughts of Miss Havisham having a spectacular breakdown at the alter or Julia Roberts fleeing her wedding on horseback aside, here are some random thoughts:
-She’s newly divorced. It wasn’t her idea.
-Today was supposed to be her wedding day, but her military fiance was called up before their big date, so they had to settle for a quick, justice of the peace ceremony. She’s taking a selfie in her wedding dress at the edge of our continent to send to him on the other side of the ocean.
-Being a bit morbid, I can’t help but notice that her dress seems to blend into the whitecaps perfectly, as her bare legs match the sand. How long did you watch her? Did she walk off the beach—or did she fade into the colors of the ocean?
:-)
Barb – ha!! Love your speculations!
I posted this photo on Facebook and people were leaving such funny possible explanations. (One quote was: “I am glad to see Miss Havisham is enjoying her vacation.”)
But my favorite comment was this one:
“The real bride is in the trunk.”
Sheila I love when you write about the ocean. You know it well and I feel your great love for it. Growing up near Rockaway, I was there all the time and then later in Manhattan for decades I would go nearly everyday to Coney. Coney Island is not known for it’s beautiful water, but I loved that dirty water and it was easy to get to. This year I went once to Coney, once! I miss it so. This story and picture made me gasp. The ocean is healing. This woman knows that. It would have been tempting to talk to her, but I think you couldn’t. (Hey man! why are you out here alone in your wedding dress?!) But what am unforgettable sight to see.
I was wondering if the camera crew for some music video were stuck in traffic on the Garden State Parkway or something. Ha.
I love Coney Island so much – that whole stretch of beach has such dingy gritty magic to it, the history, the boardwalk! I go down to the Jersey Shore for my beach jaunts – but it really would be so easy to just jump on the F train (it is the F train, right?) and be at Coney Island in 40 minutes.
My favorite time to go to the beach is in the fall. It’s just so WILD.
The ghostly lonely bride was just perfect. I’m glad to have seen her, whatever the heck she was doing there.
//“The real bride is in the trunk.”//
I love this! But she’ll never tell—
Ha! Exactly.
Other quotes from friends on FB (so glad I know so many funny people!):
“I think she washed up in a bottle thrown from the set of Lars von Trier’s “Melancholia”.”
“Teresa Draco-Bond the next morning had she survived her honeymoon in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.””
from my brother: “Snookie! Come the fuck back, I ain’t married yet, yer the maid of honor ya bitch!”
“Singing, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?”, and a “Hey, Nonny, Nonny, am I!””
“In the unlikely event of a runaway bride, this dress can be used as a flotation device.”
I can only think of Geraldine Page at the end of Interiors, the most underrated Woody Allen.
Very Interiors-ish!
Maybe she’s been to see this:
Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination at the British Library. The exhibition features a white dress from the era of Mary Shelley as worn by the original Goth Girl.
Or maybe she’s just singing ‘Heeeethcleeeeff, it’s meeee, I’m Katheeee”
Damn, Helena, I wish I could go to that exhibition! I wonder if it will travel.
Thanks for the links, though, so I can peruse vicariously.
With my supernaturally awakened interest in horror etc I will probably be heading over there soon, if only to see That Dress.
Definitely! Report back!
I am feeling strangely guilty about being so far behind in supernaturally-inspired re-caps. I’ve started to work on Usual Suspects but this is such a busy time – these last couple of weeks in particular. Damn you, Supernatural!! It beckons. It must wait.
Love that picture! I imagine I can feel the damp wind from the ocean and the sound of the waves crashing while watching her, she has a ghostly otherness. It reminds me of a movie I watched on TV as a kid where the bride walks into the ocean. Of course she does it at night and the ocean is the Pacific, but still…
She really did seem so strange and out of place I thought I was seeing things.
The bride walks into the ocean, huh? I kind of need to see that movie now.
//“The real bride is in the trunk.”//
Ha hahahaha! One of those perfect a-story-in-one-sentence, lines. Perfect.
Isn’t that just too much?? hahahaha
Goodness me…Miss Havisham. Had nearly forgotten that.
Oh, Helena, thanks for those links! I would dearly love to see that exhibit, too–I can picture that dress, reaching out at the viewer in the dark blue exhibit hall.
Hey Sheila! Yesterday, sick inside with a cold, I caught the movie Birth with Nicole Kidman. I was riveted the whole time, I loved the slowness of it and thought it was filmed so beautifully, lush and gorgeous. You really feel that insular, wealthy, Upper East Side world. It’s such a strange and mysterious film that sticks to me. Also, Lauren Bacall in a small part is hilarious, tough and wonderful in it. One of the last shots is Kidman (whom I’ve never seen look more beautiful and gives a great performance) at the ocean, in the waves, distraught, in a wedding dress. Anyway, I thought of this photo again!
Regina!! I saw that film when it came out – and yes, it was amazing!! I love that director. I hadn’t thought of Birth, though, when I saw this runaway bride – you’re right, it could be an outtake!
Sheila When it came to that shot, recognizing your picture, by myself out loud I said, Oh my God! haha! I didn’t know who the director was, had to look it up afterwards. Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin! He really casts a spell in his movies. I love him too! I got a new hero.
Yes!! He is just so talented, I think!