The Chatty Ape.

"Imagine a chimpanzee, so like us in so many ways, reaching out to us across that chasm. There is an unspoken question. "Will you acknowledge me as 'kin'?" If you dare look into his eyes and take hold of his hand, he will look back toward the other animal beings and then back to you with a question, "What about them? Don't they matter too?" Indeed, the great apes are like us in so many ways that they serve as ambassadors for all the wonderful animals with whom we share the planet." - Jane Goodall, Primatologist

Last night I went to bed thinking about relationships and woke feeling that it is the relationships we chose to make whilst on earth which define us and our existence. As a young twenty something it is fairly stereotypical of my age group to concentrate on romantic ones, it is after all the years in which we establish ourselves as independent adults. Along with all that striving and asserting ourselves comes the heavy, sometimes hard to swallow love affairs, which end up shaping us.

For once though I'm not talking about that kind of love. Today I want to focus on my friends, the wonderful surf family I've developed over the last year and the friends who are embedded in my life history.

These relationships we develop in a non romantic context are possibly the most important in terms of defining us. They are permeable, sometimes fleeting and have problems which cannot be healed by having sex (unless you take the bonobo chimp approach to life,which is to base your whole society on sex and use copious masturbation and copulation to resolve conflict)! 

With friends you continually have to make an effort as there is no certainty that they will weather all storms in your life, unlike the unconditional love of your family. Of course you develop some relationships which do become like family but I always feel you shouldn't rest on your laurels or take this for granted. Friends don't have to be there if they don't want to be. 

Newly single I'm reflecting on my friendships and other relationships as an important vector for change in my attitude and how I intend to move forward.  From my work colleagues, to my awesome, philosophical taxi driver all these people are valuable wonderful pilgrims to learn from as we trek towards whatever it is we're trekking towards. 

As ever surfing has given me a new family, one which is constantly growing (new members not births)! To all these people and my wonderful friends from school, college, university and lush job interviews, coffee counters, beaches and where ever else I manage to make friends Thank you. 

Here's a photo collage of a few of those people, I've probably missed people out because I'm rushing this post but that doesn't mean they are any less important. To all the wonderful people who keep me sane (that's relative I guess) thank you for being there.  

 

   

Until next time, stay strong surf well :)