Salt Water Reasons

You cant put a price on what its like to put yourself into Mother Oceans arms.




I imagine it started a long time ago, probably when my Tutu Kane (grandpa) and my Dad threw me back and forth in the waters of Hanauma Bay.

I was scared shitless. I always had been of the ocean. All that life going on under that calm blue didnt fool me; the mother was waiting to yank me unde a drown my sorry ass. It did not care if I was 5 or 6 or whatever I was then. I remember even in first grade, that pic of the lobsters and crabs on the bulletin board, I'd walk as far away fom that shot, scared that the reptiles would clamp one of those claws around my throat and cease my exsistence.

With what life was like at that school, maybe it would have been better, but the conspiracy was set, I was to sufer awhile more until my life would change later, wetter, and for the better.

Me and Sean would peddle to Sandy's. We'd watch his brothers 8mm films of North Shore waves in the dark in his room. I'd freak the hell out when he'd charge out into the surf; and ask me why i didnt follow. He was one of the first people I confided in; I told him I was scared; he told me what the hell? You go nuts playing football, running and shit, and hiking the hills with me; how can YOU be scared?

I was.

We sat on the beach that dawn, watching the waves.

And he said this- "You watch that wave, you count how long in takes or it to break, wash to shore, and calmly run back to the ocean" - "and you tell me you cant hold your breath that long"

"and dont fucking panic, man, dont panic, and its all good"

And it was.

We were like 10 or 11.

40 years later, I stil cant explain what it is like; what it is like to get up, crack the dawn, head out, smell the ocean LIFE, the salt the spray.

Not knowing what the conditions will be like Great? Junk? Who knows? You went. You just went to the beach, surfed the anger out, flopped on the beach, burnt, exhausted, and so satisified with the entire world, that food didnt matter, getting high didnt matter, the demands didnt matter. Nothing. It was ALL GOOD.

You didnt die, you conquered something, somehow, someway. You experienced things sights and feelings that only you will know. Cause ever drop of water is different. Every single one.

Totally useless event in the worlds eye, but the whole world to me.

In facing some of the actions of the ocean; seeing what appears to be impending death headed to me, and surviving it, makes you stronger?

Nope.

It makes you thankful.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and so on. Time will come when those numbers will have ended.

Perhaps maybe then my friends will feel fit to judge me

But when I meet my maker, there are 1 or 2 things I'd sure like to ask him

Apologies to Crash Test Dummies.

Aloha.