On Cortney's Desk

The most relaxing and peaceful times I have ever had in life have been by the sea. The sounds and smell of ocean have the power to sooth me immediately. One of my most relaxing pastimes is walking up and down the beach looking for striped rocks. I have always been just superstitions enough to talk myself into believing that striped rocks are good luck. And…I am just enough of a “Type A” to always be searching for that “best” stripe. This mission for the perfect striped rock allows me to spend hours in my most relaxing environment without feeling one ounce of guilt. It is also a mission that requires me to slow down and be entirely present with my natural surroundings (lest I look over the perfect striped rock) which becomes almost of a Zen-like experience for met. Not to mention that the satisfaction of finding that “perfect” stripe is quite rewarding!

My fiancé has a similar fondness for strip rock “hunting”. We cherish vacation time that allows us the opportunity to be at the ocean and wind down by slowly combing the beach for striped rocks as we catch up on all that we have been too crazed to talk about since the last vacation. Over our five years together, we have accumulated quite a mass of beautiful striped rocks. As an engagement ring, my fiancé--also a jeweler—made a ring with a striped rock as the central stone. This striped rock had two strips running parallel to each other to symbolize our lives side-by-side.

The collection of striped rocks that I keep on my desk remind me both of the state of relaxation I get when walking down the beach as well as the love I have for my fiancé. Having a piece of nature in my otherwise sterile work environment reminds me of all there is to look forward to outside of the office. It partially brings me back to that Zen experience.

--Cortney