danger island? i think not.

it's 6:40 a.m. and i just got in from a little walk on the wild side. okay, not really. well, actually, yes really. sorry. here's what i did.

i stayed on the beach all night at coney island!

the goal was to see the sunrise. a friend convinced me to do it and as soon as i agreed, i knew it was a bad idea. i mean, coney island is sketchy during the day. but to be there at 3 a.m.? was the equivalent of not only shaking danger's hand but inviting her for cocktails.

let me be the first to tell you coney island at 3 a.m. is less creepy than during the day! there were enough people to make it feel safe. everyone kept their distance and you can't beat the sounds of a surf and a semi-starry sky. it was terrific. and then, when i was beginning to feel i couldn't take lying on chilly sand anymore, this happened:

when the sun poked up we dipped our feet in the warm ocean. (which, my friend said, just showed how cold our feet were). old fogie beach comers came out to walk and swim. the world looked fresh and sparkling. and i reflected anew on all the times i haven't done things because i thought they'd be scary, unsafe, or a bad idea. i wonder what my fear made me miss out on.

at least i can scratch "seeing people have sex on a beach" off my list. because, hey, it's coney island. and as during the daytime, at dawn too, beach blankets don't begin to cover the sketchy that exists there.