I was never what you would call a great surfer and I haven't done it in years. But it's one of those things i can't wait to do again, wish i could do it all the time and can't imagine not doing it ever again. My romantic life has played out a lot like my not so illustrious surfing career.
It all starts with cool gear and a plan to get out there and ride those waves! Suited up you work and work to paddle out, get past the break. Then you sit. You wait until the right wave comes along and BAZAM! You paddle-paddle-paddle-paddle-paddle and stand up at just the right time to take your place in the sweet spot, riding all the way in to the beach, breathless and exhilarated because there is nothing else like it in the world.
Except more often than not the waves looked one way when i started to paddle out, I was dizzy from not being in surf ready shape by the time i got past the break and then anxious about whether or not that was a fin in the distance and if something just touched me i should ignore it because i couldn't do anything about it anyway. Wait for the right wave and the magic will sail in on magic... BUT NO! Not unlike my forays into the world of dating and romance- instead of diligent effort floating me in on a wave of magic, I paddle-paddle-paddle-paddle and end up on the wrong wave, wipe out in the messy white wash and get tossed around in the spin cycle of waves that were not nearly that big when I paddled out.
It's probably a good thing I don't have a surfboard or a wetsuit. There hasn't been much summer to speak of so...So here I am waiting for the season to come around again while i get myself in shape. It's not easy because even though i haven't been out that far that many times, once it's in you, it's there. The next opportunity to paddle out may not be for awhile- I'm not exactly actively engaged in wave watching, honestly still getting have wobbly sea legs over my last time out, I was trying to stand up on my board when the waves were really better for freestyle body surfing.
I'm convinced there are some decent waves out there, right for me to ride in on, once I'm in the right shape, with the right board and suit to make it all happen. Meanwhile, living through the days until the next season are the only way through it. There is plenty to do-- the magic is worth it.
Posts
1 comment:
I love this post, both because I'm a surfer but also because the analogy works so, so well. I like how, as in surfing, so much more is gained by just trying for wave after wave. You're gonna miss a lot of 'em - and the trick there is to learn to be okay with missing 'em. But when you get the good waves, they are oh so good.
Post a Comment