Surfing

My eyes creep open as the sound of melodic tones slowly increase in volume.  “You’re suffering, feel your pain. Allow me to be your sponge.” Sitting up I sneak out of the tangled sheets not to wake or stir the ones next to me. Quickly I disable the alarm that has started my day so early. Tip toes as if I am a lion stalking my morning prey, too tired to miss but fully alert. In the bathroom I find my neatly folded clothing. Board shorts, a rash guard and a single stick of wax. This is all I need, this is all I want. I slip my clothes on paying much attention to my stealth as I adjust the Velcro. Slithering out of the bathroom and into the hall way where my flip-flops lay mocking me, ready to make noise. Today I will leave them home, the less I take the better.

Once outside, I make my way to the car with the board already strapped down from the night before. I start the car and the same song that awoke me is now in full stride. “The air was heavy. He could feel it in his lungs. With every step he took, a prayer rolled off his tongue.” I leave the driveway and head down the street. The house was only five-hundred or so yards from the dune, but it would take much too long to walk. I cross the dune with board in hand as I stop to take in the amazing sunrise. The sky is peach with small low lying clouds moving offshore as if to make way for the day to come. The water looks airbrushed as not to show a single ripple or imperfection. The waves are about waist high, which is plenty for my purposes, for I had a long board.

Dropping my belongings I wax the board making sure not to miss a single spot, for this is my first day on a long board. Now the board is waxed and my leash is strapped. I hit the water and a chill rushes though my extremities and into my core. The water is warm, about seventy-five degrees in Fahrenheit, although against my much warmer skin it feels cool. I rapidly become immune to the temperature difference as I lay on my board. I start to paddle, one – two – three – four – five paddles and I’m already past the breakers. As the sun clears a cloud I find myself in a row of diamonds stretching from myself to the horizon. Sitting on my board I feel as if am a king while almost my entire body is above the water looking down to see the sand of which I rule.

I notice a small break in the diamonds heading my way. I lay back down on my thrown and start to paddle slowly, afraid to outrun the impending wave. As it reaches me it is almost to its crest and I give one final thrust with both hands. I instantly find myself standing and peering down the line. Slowly I lean and the board changes direction. I am now sailing across the wave as it breaks behind me. Everything is now in slow motion and extremely clear. I am noticing every detail right down to the individual drops of water as they cross through my field of view. Right now, at this very moment, I am not simply experiencing nature, I am part of nature. The energy of the wave has transferred through my board and into my body. As the wave nears an end and becomes white wash, time starts to speed back up. Hopping off my board, I am now standing in ankle deep water as the board continues to follow the wave to only be stopped by a tether to my ankle. I am still in awe at the moment, the feeling, and the beauty I experienced.

Throughout the rest of the session my mind is clear as I question life, existence and everything else that has made me who I am. I realize that influences only influence my decisions and not who I am, which rivals what I have been taught. But then, to be taught is to be influenced.Which only then means: Who you are, why you’re here, and how you came to be; can only be realized by experience.