"Special agent Utah! This is not some job, flipping burgers at the local drive-in! Yes! - your surfboard bothers me! Yes! - your approach to this whole damn case bothers me! And yes! - YOU BOTHER ME!".
"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
Point Break (1991)
How selfish is a surfer? Dropping in on a wave is a cardinal sin in the world of surfing, but this isn't the kind of selfishness I'm talking about. No. I'm instead referring to the passion for surfing interrupting land based life. As a land locked surfer my ocean obsession is contained and very much compartmentalized to fit around my schedule and is restricted by my geographical shortcomings. I allocate time, but even so distance does not stop me disappearing off for ocean based frivolity at the drop of a hat, perhaps to the expense of my work and family.
There is the stereotype surfer being a somewhat vacant, monosyllabic caricature (Bodhi anyone) and whilst I don't subscribe to this persona I do believe I have morphed into a blinkered surfer girl whose attention is focused on the next set rather than her immediate surroundings. Couple this with new found love and one could suggest I am an incredibly self centered beast at present.
This post is largely inspired by recent events, you see, I let a friend down when she needed me and whilst my inaction wasn't malicious or intended my blissful ignorance hurt her none the less. It is a terrible thing to let someone down, I'd rather be punched than not be there for a friend. I feel particularly heinous about the whole incident, considering my job as a care worker involves being perceptive, looking for non verbal clues as to someones emotional well being and being compassionate. How did I get it so wrong in my personal life?
I can't blame all my misdemeanors on surfing because that's shirking responsibility but I do think its shaped me an awful lot, particularly when I think that my choice of university was predominantly based on my proximity to a beach break, (as well as a great course I might add)!
As much as surfing has saved my life and continues to be a massive source of inspiration I hope that I am able to strike a balance and continue to be there for my friends as well as getting board time.
How does surfing affect your life? Are you too in flux trying to balance ocean love with land based life? Let me know I'm ever fascinated to learn about other surfers out there...
Until next time,
Stay strong and surf well
Love
"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
Point Break (1991)
How selfish is a surfer? Dropping in on a wave is a cardinal sin in the world of surfing, but this isn't the kind of selfishness I'm talking about. No. I'm instead referring to the passion for surfing interrupting land based life. As a land locked surfer my ocean obsession is contained and very much compartmentalized to fit around my schedule and is restricted by my geographical shortcomings. I allocate time, but even so distance does not stop me disappearing off for ocean based frivolity at the drop of a hat, perhaps to the expense of my work and family.
There is the stereotype surfer being a somewhat vacant, monosyllabic caricature (Bodhi anyone) and whilst I don't subscribe to this persona I do believe I have morphed into a blinkered surfer girl whose attention is focused on the next set rather than her immediate surroundings. Couple this with new found love and one could suggest I am an incredibly self centered beast at present.
This post is largely inspired by recent events, you see, I let a friend down when she needed me and whilst my inaction wasn't malicious or intended my blissful ignorance hurt her none the less. It is a terrible thing to let someone down, I'd rather be punched than not be there for a friend. I feel particularly heinous about the whole incident, considering my job as a care worker involves being perceptive, looking for non verbal clues as to someones emotional well being and being compassionate. How did I get it so wrong in my personal life?
I can't blame all my misdemeanors on surfing because that's shirking responsibility but I do think its shaped me an awful lot, particularly when I think that my choice of university was predominantly based on my proximity to a beach break, (as well as a great course I might add)!
As much as surfing has saved my life and continues to be a massive source of inspiration I hope that I am able to strike a balance and continue to be there for my friends as well as getting board time.
How does surfing affect your life? Are you too in flux trying to balance ocean love with land based life? Let me know I'm ever fascinated to learn about other surfers out there...
Until next time,
Stay strong and surf well
Love
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