Endless Session, Day 139: The waves of the sea
Day 132 at Topaz. Photo by BumpSetSurf.com
“The waves of the sea bring me back to me.”
If I’ve ever been struck with a deeply sentimental chord by a quote, this would be the one. In July, on Day 8 of my current surf-for-a-year mission, I landed on my head in shallow water at the Hermosa Beach pier and tweaked my neck, making me think for most of the day “What the hell did I just sign myself up for?”
That same afternoon, one of my closest friends, KP, forwarded me that quote and a few others of which I have written on my bathroom mirror, looking fixedly at me every time I wake up and get ready to hit the sea. They remind me that in the water, no matter what happens, I always feel like my best self, and they make me recall how much things have changed for the better since surfing found its way back into my life.
Day 120. Photo by BumpSetSurf.com
I lost my special relationship with the ocean for a long time. I got married at a young age, and apart from the differences with my partner, I restricted my normally free-spirited self to the dreary whirlwind of trying to grow up, pushing myself full-force into adulthood at an overly accelerated pace. The things that sincerely mattered to me faded out of existence, and I barely ventured to the beach for years, even though I lived only blocks away. I would stare at the ocean from my living room, feeling sadness and a hole in my heart knowing that I was missing something, and the few times I tried to surf during that period in life I didn’t let myself enjoy it. Finally, after many changes and a new mindset, the Pacific and I truly re-joined. My world quickly inched its way back to completeness, and slowly started filling in with old and new friends, new adventures, and exciting opportunities – all without a doubt coming from the pure bliss I had from my rekindled bond with the ocean.
Day 139. Photo
At Sapphire today, I found a spot to myself and caught a few gentle, rolling waves that carried me softly towards shore. I thought a lot about that quote as I hovered around in the swell and later while lying on the beach, sitting in complacency watching and appreciating the waves, ever so grateful to have a place in their peaks again.