Pandemic Freedom: Surfing!
“How are you doing?” is by far the question of the year and the one my friend, Brenda, asks often in a serious voice. She has had a combination of cabin fever and acute uncertainty. Honestly, I don’t blame her. I have sincere bouts of the latter, but cabin fever?? – hmmmm, not really. I wouldn't rub it in her face, but I’ve been well. My secret, of course, is surfing.
Since early quarantine, I’ve been able to head to the beach with my surfboard and trade in mind-numbing electronics with salty cold water and the chance to stand on top of a wave and ride it all the way in! Ah, such bliss. While in the water, whatever is going on in the rest of the world is immaterial and it will be there when I get out.
Strange times and strange outcomes: Towns opened up weirdly, as spring became summer. In one case, there were lifeguards on the beach, surfers and swimmers in the water, but the access to the beach was fenced off! I can only imagine the town-hall Zoom conversation that ended with that compromise.
Getting to know your neighbors. My next door neighbor, Lindsay, was stressed with the new normal and may not have taken up my invitation to go surfing, if not for Covid. When she did, she proved to herself that she’s a natural and now she’s part of our tribe. Even better, she is a dietician/nutritionist https://www.absolutenutritioncounseling.com. Thanks to her, I’ve lost over 10 lbs since May!
#Morningsurfing. My surfing friends and I have had our sanity breaks in the early mornings to avoid crowds during the summer. The 5:30 AM alarm physically hurts, but when we got there, it was amazing! The sunlight at dawn gives the water a gentle iridescence. The vibe is peaceful. It was wonderful to be in that moment and share it with friends.
If you’ve read my earlier blogs about sharks at dawn, the surfers-are-not-afraid-of-sharks logic won out here. If you didn’t read the blog, here it is https://super60surfer.blogspot.com/2020/05/did-sharks-get-memo.html
Hanging out with #dolphins: One of those mornings, were thrilled with a dolphin sighting. OK, a pod of dolphins. It never gets old and dolphins have the added bonus that sharks avoid dolphins. My friend said, “One is coming towards us,” which I disregarded since dolphins don’t swim towards people. I was wrong. The dolphin breached behind us within a few feet. He/she was about 350 lbs and FAST – gone in a flash. Another amazing moment.
As we go into the dark months and more Covid, we have been nudging each other to go out later and later in the year. I’m investing in thicker wetsuits, despite my jiggly bits, to be able to take this kind of break all year long.
If Brenda asks me how I’m doing, I’ll tell her, “oh, I’m fine,” and listen supportively. The truth is, I can’t wait to go surfing again.
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