That Evening in June A striking brunette got out of a cab where my friend and I were walking our dogs along the ocean in La Jolla, California. I normally would not have paid much attention except that she stumbled as she climbed out. That caused a second look, and a look in the direction of her stare. There was a young man in his late 20’s on one knee. Next to him was a small table, set with flowers and champagne. He asked her to marry him. After the excitement the couple eagerly shared their story with us. They were from North Carolina and he had flown her to La Jolla that weekend in order to pop the question. It turned out he and his mom had been to the cliffs 10 years before when she was dying of cancer. As he and his mom stood gazing toward the ocean, she had made him promise that when he met the woman of his dreams he would propose to her on that very spot. This romantic event fulfilled that promise. |
| I walked away from that encounter with my pup by my side and an inspiration in my heart:
For years I have walked the stretch of coastline
between the 300 and 500 blocks of Coast Boulevard in La Jolla. These
cliffs truly are magical! People come from all over the world to
sit on its grass and be at one with the sea. I see couples gazing
at each other, families sharing meals, and individuals quietly reading
or just staring off into the sunset. I wonder what it is that draws
them back day after day. Some start lives together here, others
bring their families for reunions and picnics, still others just
come for solitary meditation. Something happens to people when they
come here. Time and schedules wash away. Memories flood back. It
appears some are transported to another time or another place.
I share this with you for a purpose. If you are owned by the cliffs, or if you have a story to share, please send it to me. I am compiling a book about the magic of the cliffs, how time somehow stops here, and how lives are enriched by a little patch of grass on a beautiful stretch of coastline in California. Laura Barton Williams |