The STING

"Paddle paddle paddle.. POP UP!!" he yells...
ah geeze...my "popups" are sooo slloooow ..but I think I almost go...

SLAM!!!

Face plant into the water...
Shake it off..try again..

"Paddle paddle paddle paddle paddle POP UP!!" he yells summore..
ah crap...my toe got caught...IMMEDIATE face plant...

"Paddle paddle paddle.. POP UP!!"

damn my instructor is REALLY cute...
ah crapp...i'm gonna miss this one..
oh...wait.....nope. I think ..I think I got this..

BAM!!!

Full body slam into the water...

**SIGH**

"Maybe I'm just not that good are reading the waves?"I thought to myself...
I don't know how to recognize the good ones ...cuz there were some waves that I didn't even REALIZE would turn into a "rid-able" wave until my instructor told me to start paddling....

But what if I’m lying to myself ? What if I CAN read the good waves ... and I’m missing them on purpose ?

Because I’m afraid...
AFRAID I won’t be able to ride them well..

UGH...FEAR...
WHY are you always lurking? Like that shark ..or JELLYFISH..in the water..
just WAITING to sting me....

Or do I think there is really going to be a “best” wave, and that's what I am holding out for?
Maybe I should just ride ANY wave..stop waiting for the "BEST" wave..and just ENJOY A RIDE...

Or maybe I just want to float for a while...and not catch ANY waves..
I so enjoyed the feel of the ocean water as it "cradled" me while I lie  motionless on top of the board....
Sometimes its nice just to float...stop trying so hard to catch EVERYTHING....
or ANYTHING.....
Maybe I've been trying to ride the "best" waves for too long...
And now..I'm just..

TIRED.

And just want to float....

But then, there is ALWAYS that ONE GREAT WAVE...that one GREAT RIDE...
That epic "HIT"...
That keeps you coming back for more..
Like any good junkie..

so that maybe..
JUST MAYBE.

you can feel that good once again..

But its never gonna be quite the same..
Cuz no two waves are ever the same.

But the amazing thing about the ocean, is there will ALWAYS be more waves..no matter how many good ones you let pass by...

there will always be more to come.

And just like the waves… our thoughts....our thoughts will come and go, with that same rhythmic pushing/pulling as the waves...
rolling in and out.
And like the waves, some thoughts will be better than others, but we don't  have to ride them all.
Because there will always be more to come…                                    

I also learned that waves in the early morning are much better to ride, because the air off the land is much cooler, and therefore sinks lower into the water, coming up beneath the waves, which allows them  to "ride" much longer.  As opposed to the afternoon, when the air is much warmer, causing it to rise and come down on top of the waves, which makes them break much sooner.

Maybe that's why I like my early mornings so much...
The cooler air...
The longer waves....
Once the heat of that day sets in, I begin to break much sooner....
FACEPLANT..
OVER and OVER
again...

So sometimes it's just nice...
To float...
Let the ocean water cradle and soothe me...

HOWEVER.... do not be disillusioned, because the ocean can hurt you too..
....throw you around,
pummel you with waves.

Or maybe you get stung by a GD*F Jellyfish while trying to ride those waves.  And even though it is only you and two young children taking those surf lesson, your 40y/o A$$ is the one running outta the water screaming...

But you CANNOT let the fear....or the sting, or the GD$F jellyfish win...
at least get into the water..
even if you just float for a while...

even if you let all the "good" ones pass you by...

Because there will always be more to come.

......and you just might catch a great one that you didn't even realize was a wave at all........

     RIDE (OR FLOAT!) ON MY FRIENDS!!