This week the sea tried to take me. Fortunately for me, the water in the area was pretty shallow - at no point did the water level get higher than my chest. The sea could not take me away - I was safe. Some other items on me, however, were not.

The first thing the sea took was a pair of sunglasses. They weren’t mine, but they were in my pocket. I noticed they were missing while looking for a shallow spot to lay down and soak up some rays. A few minutes of searching brought them back to me. They were lying on the sand under 3 feet of water.

Having found some success with the sunglasses, the sea took another stab at pulling me, or something on me, back into the ocean. The second time around, the sea took a whistle clipped to the laces of my trunks. I don’t know how it managed to untie the knot on the board shorts I was wearing - all I know is that I looked down and saw the laces dangling free. No whistle nor carabiner was attached. These I found some 20 yards away.

Having been foiled twice, the sea tried again. The third time, in this case, was a charm. I didn’t notice it - not until it was too late. The sea had somehow taken me. I hit the showers before I realized that one of my dog tags had gone missing - probably lost at sea forever.

If anybody ever finds that tag where it came off, they will wonder how and idiot with my name managed to drown in 3 feet of water. If it gets pulled further away to sea, perhaps some divers will find it. If it washes up on shore, maybe it will bake under the sun until some kid picks it up. More likely, it will stay lost.

The sea didn’t get my other toys, but it managed to get my name, date of birth and blood type. It got my phone number too, as well as my brother’s. I guess, if that tag is ever found, I’ll be considered lost at sea.

Yeah, right.