This is a site of uplifting and thought provoking posts

 There is a song by Phil Collins entitled “Another Day in Paradise” that I like a lot. It is about a homeless woman who approaches a man who is walking by and asks for help. The man, despite her numerous attempts to engage him, walks on as if he doesn’t see or hear or is oblivious to her plight and acts as if she doesn’t even exist.

The message of the song always touches me deeply and makes me want to do something for someone in need and reminds me how lucky I am to have the things I have.

I’ve even heard people say that it’s their own fault that they are where they are or that they could have what I have if they worked hard and weren’t so lazy.

Though largely unintentionally (at least I’d like to thinks so), there are so many ways we seem to be oblivious to the plight of our fellow man, our environment and the things around us that should be important to us.

I saw a news item on yahoo recently where people travel to the Artic to watch ice bergs and  glaciers calve. While I’m sure it’s exciting to witness are we not oblivious to the fact that our retreating glaciers are a problem we should be deeply concerned about.

As the rain forests continue to be removed another species of insect or animal disappears and we rationalize it by thinking, “that’s not such a great price to pay for  jobs and profits and who’s really going to miss a little tree frog anyway”.

We drop a cigarette, bottle, bag or other piece of trash on a beach and figure, “the ocean is big and one piece of garbage won’t hurt the environment”. Are we then oblivious to the fact that the great garbage patches in the Gyres are growing by leaps and bounds and that our garbage is littering pristine remote beaches and killing marine life. Are we also so blind to the problem that as long as our beach is groomed in the morning and looks good when we get there that we convince ourselves there really isn’t a problem.

If there is an oil spill in the Gulf or somewhere else that despoils beaches and kills off marine life do we convince ourselves  i’s just t the price we have to pay for oil independence and cheaper fuel?

If ocean temperatures continue to rise and another coral reef dies does it concern us or do we not change our ways until there’s no where left where we can snorkel or dive and enjoy such a wonderful sight?

I know it’s very easy to become complacent and or give into the notion that there is nothing we  can do to change things anyway so why bother. I believe however that we not only can make a difference no matter how small and insignificant our actions may appear to be and that we can affect change. More importantly, I believe we have a duty to our fellow man. creatures and our planet to do what little we can to affect positive change.

As it has often been said, “Any man, woman or child alone can only accomplish so much but as a group or society we can accomplish great things”.

If we don’t then our paradise could be lost forever.

I normally like to keep things light but sometimes we all need a dose of reality and for some reason this topic has been on my mind for several weeks now and I needed to get it out.

Thanks for checking in this week and I look forward to hearing from you.

Aloha and keep doing the good works you do,

Paul

 Although I hate to admit it, I’m old by no matter what measure you could come up with. Besides being old, my body is pretty beat up from years of doing all kinds of sports and assorted dare-devilish activities.

During my life I have suffered at least six concussions (At least that’s how many I remember), a broken collar bone, ankle, various fingers and toes, a badly broken (which believe it or not I set myself) and a broken wrist that it needed pins inserted into it to keep it together while it healed (I tried to set that one while dazed but couldn’t). I have also torn tons of muscles and ligaments and got my ankle crushed while working on the docks when I was in college.

On top up that I have arthritis and hurt most of the time except when I’m in the water.

Now I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel sorry for me. It’s just the facts and such things happen to folks who have been around a while especially if they participate in sports.

People often ask me, as I often do myself, what with my advanced age and with all the injuries and stuff that’s happened to my body, how is it that I can still surf and play tennis at the level I do?

After giving it much thought I believe it comes down to three things, first of all I still get a thrill out of doing those things, secondly, I still believe I can do those things and lastly, I keep doing them and try and stay in shape so I can.

At the very core of it I believe it comes down to the old axiom of “use it or lose it”.

It’s tough enough when we are young to stop doing something for a long period of time and then be able to do it well again when we start up again. But it become a lot more difficult the older we get to do things well again, especially at a high level.

I can relate this to my own experience. When I was younger and even well into my late thirties I played a lot of ice hockey. I could skate fast and make a hockey stop on a dime. About ten years ago though after a long period off the ice I went skating and could not pull off a decent hockey stop to save my life.

As another example, I taught snowboarding for years and was the lead instructor at the resort I worked at and was the one who taught the other instructors. This winter, after a layoff of seven yeas, I went snowboarding again in fairly icy conditions. In the past those conditions would have been a cake-walk for me but on the three days I boarded, while I managed to board pretty well and never fell, at the same time I was very tentative and on the edge so to speak most of the time.

I suppose then, the lesson to be learned is, if you love doing something and want to be able to continue doing it as well as you can and for as long as you can then you have to keep doing it.

Although I have been using a sports analogy, I believe it applies to almost everything we do whether it be art, writing, crafting, cooking and I think it even applies to things like loving, listening, forgiving, being tolerant of others, enjoying sex  and tons of other things.

I know it might sound corny but I really do believe that our hearts can become hardened like muscles and bones if not used properly.

I know all too well that at some point, despite how much I stay involved with the things that I love doing, that my body will break down to the point that I can’t do some of the things I love to do. I suppose that’s all-right as long as I enjoy them as best I can for as long as I can.

The one thing I hope I never lose the ability to is to Love.

Thanks for checking in and I’ll look forward to hearing from you and seeing you back again next time.

Aloha and a shout out of love.

Paul

 Notice how flat the waves were in the cover of my new novel? Well that’s pretty much how they’ve looked most of this summer and for the most part most of this past spring and winter.

Flat spells such as these can really eat at the psyche of surfers. Not only do we not get to ply our trade in the way we like but it also affects our social connections.

With no surf comes no stories. While normally our phones are filled with texts or calls (yes that still happens) from our surfing buddies, during flat spells those drop to trickle. We might go for weeks without seeing them as no one is out at our favorite break. We are a tribal lot after all and we like to share in the camaraderie that develops during a big swell (heck even a moderate one after such a lull).

We also suffer physically from the effects of not surfing. Our muscle tone diminishes and as there is no surf we tend to eat and drink more and lay around watching TV or playing video games and gain weight.

We also become depressed and out of sorts. As such, our home and business lives suffer.

We also start to doubt our abilities. We wonder if we will perform well when a good swell finally hits. We also dream incessantly about surfing (I know I do) and many of those dreams are frustrating ones where the waves are great until we hit the water then it goes flat or we get to the beach and we realize we’ve forgotten our board.

We also don’t buy surfboards or equipment which hurts the surf shops and shapers and the economy and it might even affect jobs.

In the old days, when the waves went flat for a long period, we sacrificed an old board to appease the surf gods. These days however we are reluctant to do so because it might be detrimental to the environment.

So I guess no one wins during a flat spell, except maybe for the families of surfers who are normally out every day and who are now around more. The only problem with that is that although they are around they are not much fun to be with as they are all bummed out over not being able to surf.

This week I paddled out twice already in what could only be described as ankle to calf size waves just because I was that desperate to surf. it was so small in fact that once, when I was able to actually go down the line, when I crouched down to try to tuck into the mini-mini-barrel I couldn’t because I was still looking down at it. Now that’s JUST NOT RIGHT.

At this point all we can do is try to hold ourselves together and pray to the surf gods on a regular basis to bring waves our way. For me I’d simply be happy with a modest waist high swell but I certainly wouldn’t complain if a good tropical swell found it’s way off our coast.

So keep praying and keep the faith that things will change. In the interim take care and see you next week.

Aloha, Paul

 There is a line in the movie “Home Alone” where Kevin is in the church sitting next to his old neighbor and they are talking about families. During their discussion the old man says, “families are a complicated thing”.

After hearing it I could not help but to think how true those words are. Although we all come from the same group of families, we are in fact all very different and unique in our own ways. This, in and of itself can create some unique family dynamics and at times conflict.

I believe this is good and healthy and makes life interesting. The problem arises when people are not tolerant of each other and their differing viewpoints, beliefs and way of living their lives. Many families, and I know this from experience, get angry, defensive and critical with their loved ones which creates conflict within the family unit.

Conflict will develop from time-to-time and as they say conflict can be good because it gets the issues out on the table and helps us to find common ground and resolution. Unfortunately, many people are not able to handle conflict well and end up saying horrible things then walk away sometimes for good. In such cases no one wins and all that is left are regrets and sorrow.

And this doesn’t just happen in families, it can happen in friendships, at work and in societies as a whole. Once we demonize someone then it’s easy to hurt them or treat them poorly.

I’ve come to believe that at the root of people’s inability to resolve issues and reconnect is their ability to apologize, admit their mistakes and both forgive and accept forgiveness. In addition, the longer we distance ourselves from others the less likely it is that we reconnect.

Normally I like to keep my blogs light but as I look at what is going on in the world and within families it concerns me deeply and my hope is that the more we talk about the issue then hopefully it will make more of us reconsider our situation and make amends with each other.

After all, if we can’t get along as families and friends then how on earth are we going to get along as cultures and societies.

Thanks for checking in and I look forward to hearing from you regarding your thoughts and suggestions. In the interim I hope you have a great week and reconnect with someone you haven’t talked to (no that doesn’t include texting) in a long time.

Aloha, Paul

 Several weeks ago I watched the movie “The Fault in our Stars’. Besides being a really good flick, it brought out a question I never really pondered before. The two main characters in the movie both liked a specific novel that gave them hope as they battled their cancers and wanted to know what happened to the characters after the end of the novel.

To find the answer to their question they traveled to Amsterdam to meet with the author. The author turned out to be a bit of a jerk and at first blew them off by basically stating “It’s just a novel and when it ends so does the story and as such the characters lives end with it”.

At first glance I suppose you could look at it either way. Because it is fiction and the characters are made up then I suppose it all ends there. On the other hand, if you really get captivated by the characters, their lives might just live on in our minds and we can create scenarios regarding what happens to them.

As I pondered the question further I realized that after reading some of my favorite novels I tended to feel like the characters were real and became very attached to them. I also wondered what did become of them.

It took me nearly five years to write my current novel “The Nonconformist” and by the time I completed it my characters were definitely real to me. As a matter of fact, after finishing it and the screen play version of it that I wrote, they became all the more real and I started to wonder what happened to some of the characters. I also felt as if some things were left unsaid and unfinished and mentally played out some scenarios regarding them.

I honestly never considered writing a follow up novel to the “The Nonconformist” but finally decided to because I wanted to play out my ideas and thought my readers might enjoy getting the answers to the questions they might have had. I am currently into my second rewrite of my new novel “The Waves of Fate” and have enjoyed the twists and turns that my characters lives have taken and delving into the issues regarding the curve balls life throws us, what makes us tick and the vagaries of love and friendship.

Thanks for checking in and I would be interested in hearing from you regarding how you feel about the question of do characters lives live on after the end of a novel. BTW, I’m sorry this weeks blog is late but have been on the road doing book signings in NC and VA and getting in a surf session or two on the OBX.

Take care and see you again next week.

Aloha, Paul

 I remember a cool Twilight Zone episode (for those who are too young to remember it they hold an annual TZ marathon each year on the Scifi channel) that had to do with a bunch of senior citizens who lived in a retirement home.

In the episode, one of the older men noticed a bunch of young kids playing kick the can (a long time ago game) and yearned for the feeling and excitement of youth. As he watched the kids play day after day he finally became convinced that if he joined them he would become young again.

As such, he tried to get his fellow senior citizens to join him in a game of kick the can. One of his friends and the overseer of the retirement home tried as best they could to convince them they were too old to play and that it would harm them. The old guy finally got nearly all of the others but his one oldest and closest friend to join them.

Lo and behold they all became young again after playing the game and his old friend was left alone and feeling regretful.

Now I’m certainly not inferring that if we play childhood games that we will become eight years old again but at the same time I truly believe that the activity of play can keep us both young at heart and vital.

As people get older and further from their youth there is a tendency to  come to believe that playing games is only for the young. They are told that life is a serious game and that it’s more important to stay focused on career, responsibilities and saving for retirement than wasting time on childlike endeavors.

Throughout my life I have had my share of hardships and struggles and can honestly say that I was serious about performing well on my job, taking care of my family and being at least somewhat responsible (how much so depends on who you ask). But what I believe got me through all of that and helped keep me young at heart was my ability to play and have fun.

Whether it be from surfing, snowboarding, tennis, simply having a catch or playing frisbee, building a sand castle, taking a dive in the ocean, or doing whatever activity that gives you joy or puts a smile on your face just do it and see how much better you feel.

Life can be a real struggle at times and there is always enough horror in the world to deal with but we don’t have to let it get the best of us. I truly believe that if we all played and thought more like children at times that there would be a lot less hatred and violence in the would and we would all be a lot happier.

Thanks for checking in and I’ll see you later. As a matter of fact, as I will be away for a couple of weeks doing book signings, visiting family and friends and surfing I will be posting an additional blog later today as I won’t be posting again until my return in two weeks.

Aloha, Paul

 The event, International Surfing Day, was held yesterday at beaches around the world. Our local First Coast Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation along with our friends fro Keep Jacksonville Beautiful, Sidereal and many other like minded organizations help our event at the Jacksonville Beach Pier.

International Surfing Day is a celebration of the sport of surfing but above all, it is an event that brings to the forefront the things that threaten our oceans, waves and beaches of which there are many, none the least of which are plastics, litter and other debris, toxic run off from homes and businesses and landscapes, oil drilling, ocean level rise and global warming. These things threaten our coral reefs and ocean living fish and mammals and in the end we humans also.

It was refreshing to see the hundreds of concerned and like minded individuals who showed up to partake in the beach cleanup which was the main focus of the activities. It was astounding to me, despite all of the cleanups I have been involved with, how much litter was accumulated, especially cigarette butts. There was a contest for the person who picked up the most and there were some people who literally picked up what looked like a thousand of them.

It was also refreshing to see how many people came to help that didn’t even live at the beach. The group One Spark brought people in from downtown Jacksonville and one older gentleman who live way over on the Westside went through then trouble of taking two busses each way just to participate. The caring and dedication of those who helped with the cleanup effort and volunteered was both refreshing and uplifting.

Much thanks goes out to our team comprised of John Sherhorn and Dan Durbec of Keep Jacksonville Beautiful, Todd Walton, Hayley Digiano, Helen Cross and Justin Bosso of our First Coast Surfrider Chapter executive committee, all the companies and organizations that had booths and gave out drinks and other swag and environmental information, Niko from Sidereal who did an enormous amount of work putting together all of the days and evenings events, Channel 4 News who covered the event and especially all  of the wonderful people who donated their time and efforts to help keep our beach beautiful.

And oh yes there was surfing. Justin brought his board which we all took turns using in the small but clean, fun surf and Hayley’s friend who had never surfed before got up on her first try and after a few more waves proved some people can look like a pro on their first day and as most people do after their first ride go home totally stoked for what I believe is the most wonderful of sports.

I, for one, feel blessed to have been part of it and to have shared the day and good vibes with all of those in attendance.

Thanks for checking in and keep up the stoke for whatever endeavor you love and for our environment. I’ll look forward to talking with you again next week.

Aloha, Paul

 This past Saturday the Wounded Warriors Project in conjunction with the Florida Surfing Association headed by Paul West again put on a surfing clinic for our Wounded (Surf) Warriors at Huguenot Memorial Park.

I was again fortunate to be able to act as an instructor in the event held on a beautiful clear day in small yet perfect waves for novices to learn. The event was one of good vibes and comradeship thanks to all the volunteers, families and of course all the warriors that participated.

Above all, the event is one of healing and strengthening of the body, mind and spirit. When someone comes home from war, especially if they have been wounded or have witnessed the atrocities of war, adjusting and coping with life afterwards can be most difficult.

I was fortunate to have served late in the Vietnam War as a crew chief on a spy plane and never had to see combat. I do remember, however, that many of my friends and schoolmates never returned from the war and that those that did weren’t the same when they returned home scarred and broken.

Surfing for me has always been an activity that has given me strength, comfort and happiness even during my most troubling of times and I am certain, especially after witnessing the smiles and excitement in the faces of all of the Wounded Warriors that it has done the same for them.

I am certain the good vibes and comradeship of the day will stick with them forever and I can bet many of those men and women will be purchasing boards of their own and become lifelong surfers. And even if they don’t, to me they are all now part of the tribe and will know they accomplished a great feat by simply catching a wave.

What I enjoyed the most about the day was getting to know all the surfer especially the two  I worked with named Bill and Brian and sharing our stories with each other.  I am certain If we all got to know each other better by sharing our stories and understanding each others challenges, hopes and dreams that we’d all be a lot better off for it.

There is no doubt that war is hell but thanks to the Wounded Warrior Project and the help of committed volunteers like those present Saturday, hopefully the warriors will be able to mend together the pieces of their lives that were torn by war and find the happiness and piece of mind they truly earned and deserve.

Thanks for checking in this week and we’ll talk again next week.

Aloha, Paul

 This past weekend I was privileged to help man the Surfrider booth at a World Water Day event at the Jacksonville Zoo to help spread the word about conserving water and keeping our rivers and oceans clean and free of pollutants and plastics.

The event was great but to tell the truth, very few people in what was a crowded venue actually stopped by to talk and learn more about the problems associated with water.

It’s disconcerting to see how we take a resource that is so vital to our very existence so passively. Water is what makes up the majority of the earth but much of it isn’t fresh or clean and consumable. In addition, fresh water is a resource that is quickly being completed and if you ask any California resident, very precious indeed.

Yet despite all the above, we somehow choose to take this resource for granted. We put more and more grass on our yards that we water all to frequently, we keep building more golf courses that require tons of water and we continue to pollute our rivers, streams and aquifers with chemicals and other toxins. And we do this even though city water prices continue to rise.

There are a lot of things we as humans and animals can do without but water certainly isn’t one of them. It is the lifeblood of all living things. As such we should do everything within our power to help conserve and protect this precious resource.

We can do this in many ways, like washing our car less, watering out yards less, taking shorter showers, going with the theory of “if it’s yellow let it mellow and if it’s brown flush it down” (sorry about that one), planting native plants or plants best suited for area and reducing the grassy areas around our businesses and homes, to make sure that industry does not discharge improperly and to continue to monitor water quality in all areas of the country.

Bottom line, it’s up to each of us to do our part and if we do we will all be a lot better off because of it.

Thanks for checking in and I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Aloha, Paul

 Three times each summer the Florida Surfing Association heads up three Super Grom events for kids ten and under. I have had the pleasure of acting as an instructor at their events for the last eight years or so and lo ok forward to being a part of it for many more.

Boy do I wish they had Super Grom events when I was a kid in the sixties. back then there wasn’t any such event on Long Island and we were forced to learn either by ourselves or from friends. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I joined the first surf club at Bay Shore High school and had buddies and an instructor to learn from.

The super grom events are probably the most popular event at Jacksonville Beach for kids in the summer and each event is always run at capacity and could be a lot bigger if all who wanted to sign up could. And why not. Where else could a child go to get not only a free lesson with boards included, get free gifts and a lunch and have the time of their lives.

We have run these events in nearly flat conditions and in waves that are challenging even for an accomplished rider yet I’ve never seen a kid who backed out. Now that’s not to say they aren’t scared because many certainly are.

I am a pretty good reader of facial expressions and can generally tell which ones are intimidated but even so I always ask each student “are you excited, scared or a combination of both”? This way I know how far to take them out and how much TLC they need to become comfortable.

I generally get a god mix of responses and generally get at least one student who is near tears before we head out. This year was no exception. There was one little girl who begged her parents not to force her to go out and it was only after I assured her we would not go out very far and that I would keep a close eye on her, that she finally relented.

During her first stand up ride all of her fears vanished and a huge smile ran across her face, and in that moment it seemed as if her entire life changed before my eyes. It was the miracle of surfing that I have witnessed in my own life and seen many times over not only in the faces of young super groms but also in the faces of Wounded Warriors, Silent (deaf) surfers and Special Olympians that I have taught over time.

In my mind the sport is nothing short of miraculous in the way it builds strength and confidence in those who embrace it and every time  I see a new grom smile after their first ride or joyfully announce “now I’m a surfer”, I can’t help but to feel blessed to help them to experience that joy and sense of accomplishment.

Whether or not they ever surf again, which in most cases they certainly will, I am certain the feeling of riding their first wave will stick with them forever. And I hope some day one of them will come up to me and say, ” I just won my first pro contest and I will never forget you were the one who gave me my first lesson and instilled within me the spark to pursue a career as a pro”.

Ah, one can only dream but even if that never happens I feel blessed just to help them to fall in love with the greatest of sports.

Thanks again for dropping in and I’ll catch you again next week. In the interim it would be good to hear from you. Aloha, Paul