A Metaphor for Life

I clearly lost sleep over Hurricane Leslie this past week. You could see it coming for days, a solid hurricane swell with none of the wind. But with hurricane swells comes a swell of people. I woke up at 5 am and drove to Hollywood, then to Plantation.....to Ft. Pierce. For those of you unfamiliar with South Florida Surfing, Miami sits in the Swell shadow of the Bahamas and needs the waves to come out of the northeast. Leslie wasn't going to do that. So we had to make the trek north for a few hours.

I had one goal in mind on this trip, to see the inside of a barreling wave. Deep down though, I knew that the chances were low. First that the swell would be big enough. Secondly, that there was likely to be a lot of people in the water all wanting the same thing that I did. And third, that I was going to be good enough if the chance was there.

So we went, there were a lot of people and the swell was decent. Not the most "epic" but good enough and definitely providing chances. My first attempt was a literal shot in the dark. I was in position to go right and took off on a head high set wave. My fins gripped the face and I pointed the nose down the line. I immediately knew that there was no way I was going to make it out so I tucked in and went for the cover up.

I saw the wave peeling, starting to bend over. Wrapping and the sandbar. I dropped to a knee and witnessed my inexperience kick in. As the wave closed out I was knocked off right in the most powerful part of the wave. A quick spin through the washing machine and I paddled back out. Searching for another opportunity.

It came, hours later after drawing what energy I could from left over Camp Butter and Egg Capri Suns. I paddled out in a new spot that promised better chances. After a few set waves going right and left, I spotted one on the horizon. I was in position. Everyone around me saw it. Everyone started jockeying for position. I didn't have to. I was farther from the beach. This promised to be the biggest wave of the set. I couldn't have been in a better spot. I turned toward the beach. A quick peek over my shoulder. Paddle! A quick check to my right to see if anyone was going, no one was, my wave. Paddle! The wave caught up with me. The offshore wind begins to send salt spray in my face. Paddle! I stand up. To my right a breaking wave, to my left, opportunity. I go left. As I get to my feet I have just a split second to pick my route and go. I was right on the line of being too late and being perfect. I was perfect. I drop in and fly down the line. One guy tries to take off on the same wave. "Hey!" I shout my claim over the wave. He backs off. Bottom turn and back into the wave. I can feel it behind me the wave throwing the lip forward as the bottom is slowed down by the sand. This wave is well overhead. I'm going fast, too fast. Just like my first wave, my inexperience kicks in. Almost to overjoyed to be on this wave. I forget my purpose. Behind me is what I've been searching for for so many years now. I'm going way to fast. I try to remedy it. I turn right, spray fills the sky but I'm too late and the turn was too sharp. I've lost all of my momentum and as the wave ends and explodes of the sandbar, so do my hopes on this try.

However, I wasn't dejected by any means. This was by far my best wave of the day and it was a ton of fun. But reflecting now,  I see what this experience can teach me. It may be silly, but I some how can draw life lessons from 9 seconds of wave riding. When we pursue our goals, they can be so close, so within reach, but just out of reach. And it's this perspective that teaches me this lesson. Are our goals just out of reach so that they don't come easy to us? For me riding a tube on a surfboard is something that I am going to have to work for. So are my life goals career wise. I know that what I want, I can't have right now. maybe lack of experience or the lack of opportunities inhibits me from getting there at this moment. But I also know that the experiences and things I will have to do along the way, will be so much fun in achieving the goal. This is a case of the journey is greater than the destination. For instance, in my pursuit of my surfing goals, I've been up and down Florida's East Coast, surfed sunrises in 30 something degree weather on the gulf Coast with good friends, and traveled to Nicaragua. Those are things that I love doing. When I reach my goals, I'm sure that I will look back and recognize that what got me there, was way more important. So my question to you is this. Have you set your goals high enough that you'll will be thrilled with the experience that got you there? If not, maybe it's something to think about.


So, tell me what you think! What are some of your goals?

~B