A few weeks ago, I had a visit from my old friend Nick, who was my college roommate. Nick and his family arrived here on Long Beach Island in the midst of a long road trip. We had lunch and began to catch up a bit, and then gathered towels and water bottles and headed to the beach.

I walked straight to the water as I usually do, not spending much time checking the temperature. If it’s cold, I’ll get used to it. If it’s warm, so much the better.