No Country for Old Men

My Valentines day gift from my wife was 'go surfing!'

In a cruel irony of events, my spot Grandview was about two feet too big to ride. But with the sun out and a free pass I had to paddle out.

On my way down the stairs I was greeted by four snapped surfboards! I got out got a wave and then paddling back out on Lucas' board I was met by a monster set. Then you are forced with the question of trying to paddle out and make it through before it breaks or do you let the wave break then duck dive. This is me trying to remember Bonga Perkins interview on Duck Diving big waves with a longboard. If you duck dive and the wave hits the back of the board you will paddle in with two boards.

Like the algebra problem you try to calculate when a piece of ice get stuck in your throat, I tried to figure it out, only to have the set break in front of me. I went under and did a few flips holding on to the board for dear life when I noticed that I forgot to take a breath before I went under.

It was time to go home. Do I feel defeated...no. As always, it is always better to paddle out even when all you have is a war story.

From Incenced to Outraged to Perplexed in 3 minutes

I can still count on Logan, he hasn't abandoned me.

So I am picking up Logan from Swamis a few days ago and ran into some of the High School Team.

Stage 1 INCENCED

SDA Team kids - "Why isn't Lucas surfing in the ISF contest this weekend, I can't believe they didn't put him on the roster!" They are beside themselves thinking that he has been taken off or lost his slot in the team roster. Anger, and teenage angst ensue.

Me - "He has to go to to a debate tournament this weekend"

He got his invite to the Stanford University Invitational cool stuff for debate nerds. It is a national tournament with a bid for the Tournament of Champions and if Lucas does well he can get a partial scholarship for debate camp this summer ( a whole other story ).


Stage 2 OUTRAGE

SDA Team kids - "Your kidding us! You have always been cool now your making go to some debate thing!!!? They are mad now and it is building.



Stage 3 PERPLEXED

Me- "His choice guys" I had to explain that this was his choice. The horse has left the barn. Being ego-centric it was hard for me to get around the fact that he has chosen debate as his passion over surfing. Yes, I said it. I am that shallow. Surfing I understand, the need to surf, the feeling and how you do it, but he has taken his path.

SDA Team kids- "Aaahhhh What!?"

Logan and I shrugged our shoulders. Tonight he gets on a plane for Northern California armed with 100 hours of prep, his notes, laptop and a cough that sounds like the beginning stages of pneumonia.


Can I talk him out of it?

Not a chance. He has self actualized and found his place. It will rain anyway this weekend. The contests will be rained out. But the hardware paradigm has shifted, he will trade any of his giant cool surf trophy's for the smaller hardware given to winners at the debate tournaments. He brought home a third place from his last tournament like it was the Hope Diamond.
Time to embrace it and understand what the hell they are saying about Hegemony, Fem K, Blocks, Bio-Power and Theory.