THOU SHALL "BOOGIE BOARD"
*Life and boogie boarding*
As many years as I have spent at the beach boogie boarding....
......and this morning I could not catch a wave to save my life.
It was not only frustrating, but it was getting brutally crazy that everyone around me (who were,by the way, all under 13 years old) were not only catching the waves, but riding them all the way into shore! ( I was totally jealous) ha!
I would smile my best smile and give them a hearty thumbs up, but after awhile, I was getting downright ticked that I could not do it. Not once. It seemed that every wave I tried to catch took me about 10 feet....then....it just.....fizzled. Arrgh.
After a while, Kevin (who had been watching me from the beach house) comes out with his board and says, "What happened, Gidget? You lost your groove out here?"
"Yes. It seems as though that's exactly what I've done.... I can't understand, Kev? I mean, I've done this for how many years? What am I doing wrong. Watch me for just a minute and see if it's me or this board."
He laughs, "Oh...absolutely...I'm gonna have to go with your board. It couldn't possibly be you."
I smile, "Ha ha...very funny. Just watch me will ya?"
After a couple of failed attempts, Kevin says,
"Well, your timing's off. That's all it is."
"Well, obviously, babe,...but, like, when? at what point? Am I hitting them too soon? too late? I can't figure it out.... ...Okay...you know what? Just tell me when to go. Just yell "Go!" and I'll follow your lead."
So he watches....and he watches and then what looks like the perfect wave comes along...I'm waiting for it....waiting for it....then I hear him yell, "GO!" So, I do!....and then?.... it just fizzles...again! ....and my board goes hardly anywhere!
He looks perplexed as I turn around towards him with arms out like, "Well? What did I do that time?!"
He says "Well, that's how it goes sometimes. Sometimes, you can do everything just right....you are just the right amount of patient....you wait on what looks to be JUST the right time to take it!...And at JUST the right point .....only to discover that there IS one more very important factor.
......And that is the wave itself. Its gotta be perfect too."
I smile and say, "You totally know that this analogy will show up on my blog don't you."
He just smiled, "Yep. I figured."
Ha!!
So, anyway, no sooner had we finished that conversation when the biggest wave of all comes. Gator and I are waiting...getting excited....and then I hear Gator holler, "Take it! Now mom! NOW!!"
So I do...and it was AMAZING!!..... the longest, greatest ride that took me ALL THE WAY to shore.
The feeling of exhilaration rushes through every fiber of my being..... and I continue riding for the next hour....just to get that feeling of the ride.
I won't go into the "lesson" I got from this analogy, because I think by now you guys know me well enough to have figured it out.
But in a nutshell, this morning's boogie boarding "lesson" is such a great metaphor for my life....and maybe everybody's life....
But to me, Life has everything to do with timing..... taking chances........being patient (especially after things fizzle)...getting back up.....trying your hardest....then trying your hardest again.
Because here's the best part of life: Just when you think you've lost your "groove" and you are frustrated while watching everyone else have all the fun, the perfect "wave" will come along...at just the right time....and you will be ready.....you will be hungry for it.....and you will hear your inner voice holler, "TAKE IT! TAKE IT NOW!!
And you will!
And the feeling will be exhilarating!
...especially the ones that take you the farthest. *wink*
