Wednesday, January 14, 2009

universal unconsciousness

Today was the first day of an Alberta Clipper cold
front.  For those who (unlike most surfers) are not
devotees of the Weather Channel, and who can't rattle
off the first and last names of at least 8 on air meteorologists,
an Alberta Clipper is a fast moving cold front coming 
from the Arctic region that sends strong NW winds and frigid 
temperatures into the central and eastern US.  When I
say cold I mean cold,  high temperatures under 20 degrees and
wind chills around zero.  Nasty, bone chilling, cold winter 
weather.

No surprise that today my phone began to ring.  Friends asking
if I was heading to Puerto Rico anytime soon.  Each of the
callers, none of whom knew each other, all had the same
thoughts in mind.  Alberta Clippers, more times than not, make for
the kind of swells that light up PR.  My callers I'll bet all had the
same sequence of thoughts that went something like this - " a big
cold front... PR should be good... it's after the holidays and fares might
be cheap... it's too cold to do anything here... I'd love to get away and
score some warm water surf... spring and warmer water
are a long way away... I really hate 5 mils...let me get out of here and go
surf".  Amazing how so many people can share the same thoughts.  Is that
what George Orwell called "group think" or what Carl Jung called the 
"universal unconscious"? Might it be an example of "great minds thinking alike"?

 Na...probably not...surfers in cold climates are all the same. Sometimes
not so original at all.  I'm outta here on Friday.

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