The Choices We Make
I had the chance a few days ago to visit my “local” break. Never mind that it took over an hour to get there, never mind that Mr. Hypothermia paid a visit, never mind that Winter storms have taken a toll on the beaches and sandbars. Fact is, I chose to go surfing for a while.
I’d like to think that all surfers feel the same way with the first paddle out of a session. In those brief moments between beach and break, uncertainties abound — Will I get waves? Will I get pounded? Will this be the time a shark gets hungry? Why am I doing this? It all comes down to choice.
We are all surfers by choice. Sure, you could be born into a Hawaiian family with a history of watermen, but that’s no guarantee that you’ll go surfing, much less be any good at it. You may choose stamp collecting.
Take the guy in this picture, for instance. A Philadelphia native who now lives near San Francisco, showing off at Mavericks. Steve Dwyer made his choice, (not only to surf, but to go out at break that has killed people in the past) and doesn’t seem to regret it for a minute.
Personally, I made the choice close to 20 years ago, and I wouldn’t change any of it. The things I’ve seen, the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met make it all worthwhile.
I guess, like most people, I’ve made some bad choices in my life. But by choosing to surf, all past mistakes and misjudgments are swept away when the speed of the wave overtakes the speed of paddling, and going right or going left is the only choice left to make.