Get to know the people in your life

Who surfs at your "local" line-up? Do you know

many of them? I mean do you actually know them,

more than knowing how they surf, what board they

ride or what car drive?

Yesterday, being Father's Day, some people seemed

compelled to talk, write, and think about what they know or

knew about their fathers. I found it interesting to read what

people had to say on facebook about their dad's and the

influence their father's had on their lives. Being a father

and a grandfather that's something I think about often.

Being a son whose dad died when I was 18 added a particular

slant on the whole thing for me. I don't feel that I really got

to know my dad very well and I don't think he really got to

know me either. A shame and loss for us both. Oft times I

wonder what would he think about how I turned out. I would

like to have had a chance to have gotten to know him better too.

Sure I've got memories, an image here, a flash there, a photo,

a reflection on an event or conversation. We both missed out.

Missing out on getting to know people in our lives is a shame.

We've had a few waves lately and, as is becoming more usual,

my local spot was packed. Since the weather

was warm and the waves mellow it seemed that folks

were more into talking and hanging out. More into

getting to know each other. I got a chance to

attach more than names to many of the faces that have

been showing up lately. I met peoples wives

and kids. We talked and got to know each other a bit more.

Odd how when we returned to the line-up the vibe seemed

slightly different, a bit more pleasant. Fewer people surfed

in silence, fewer dropped in on each other.

Get to know the people in your life, the people at your line-up.

Who knows what impact it could have. Might get you a few

more waves, might give you the pleasure of watching someone

else get a wave or have some fun on a wave you've let them have.

Not much downside to getting to know the people you surf the

waves of your life with.

Playing golf with Tiger, shooting hoops with Michael Jordan

The world of sports is filled with superstars. Every sport

has those special gifted and super talented athletes whose skills

and abilities are unrivaled. We watch them on t.v., admire them

from afar, and maybe even get an opportunity to pay for tickets

to see them play in person. That's the way it is. About all we

mortals can do is fantasize about trying trying to hit a ball out

of Yankee Stadium, pairing up for a round of golf with Tiger

Woods, or shooting a few hoops with LeBron. Surfing, on the

other hand, is very very different.

Last night I got a chance to hear Shaun Tomson talk about his

new book, the updated paperback version of The Surfer's Code.

Someone asked him if anyone ever drops in on him. Shaun smiled,

laughed a bit and replied "sure, at Rincon where I live, I get dropped

in on and yelled at all the time." Shaun surfs Rincon just like

everyone else in Santa Barbara without expecting special treatment.

Someone forwarded me a video of Kelly Slater, arguably the best surfer

ever, tearing it up at Malibu, one of the most crowded waves

on the planet. Two things were obvious in the video; Kelly was

ripping and is an amazing surfer, and even the world champ

gets dropped in on and yells people off the wave.

No where else in sports do we get a chance to share the playing field

with our superstars, the heros. Makes no difference if you are a "lifer"

or a grom. We all get to surf the same breaks, the same waves and

on the same days. We share, stare, watch, hoot, and even talk to each

other in the lineup. Guess surfing gives us a real glimpse into the human

condition. We are all very much the same, all paddling for the same

waves, all trying to enjoy many of the same simple pleasures in life.

Rich or poor, black or white in the water we all want the same things,

all have a chance to surf together. Not a bad model for life.