This is a site of uplifting and thought provoking posts

“The mind is a terrible thing to waste Paul”. That’s not really where I was planning on going with this post. I suppose the voices of teachers and parents past are still ringing in my ears.

Lest I digress, and go down a very painful road, the idea of matter versus mind came to me during several surf sessions of late.

I recently had shaped for me the board in the picture. It is a 6’3″ stinger rocket, modified single fin, channel bottom board. I pride myself on being able to ride almost any shape that comes my way. In my quiver I have a 5’11” performance twin fin, a 6’2″ baked potato fun shape that I shaped myself, a 6’4″ thruster and a 6’8″ high performance thruster for big surf. I also sometimes ride long boards that I borrow for those days when that’s all that really works.

When I set up the fin on the new board, Tony of COS where I work, advised me to set the fin way back so it wouldn’t be too loose. Unfortunately I didn’t listen to Tony as a guy that rides updated single fins said it would work best moved forward and also because I thought I could handle the speed and looseness of it. (mind/matter)

Well, when I dropped in on my first wave and went for a big cutback I obviously couldn’t handle the speed and the board literally shot right out from under me. Yes Tony got in a good “I told you so”, and I have since moved the fin back and am now slowly getting the board wired. I guess it wasn’t named the Stinger Rocket for nothing.

I also detest wearing a full wet suit so I try and wear as little rubber as possible when I feel I can. Fortunately we have had a pretty mild winter with water temps in the low to mid sixties for much of the winter and as such I’ve only worn my full suit a hand full of times.

Unfortunately we had a recent cold spell that brought the temps back down into the upper fifties to low sixties. Despite that knowledge, I decided to paddle out this week in only a light spring suit top. Needless to say, that morning I froze my butt off. I stayed out for about an hour and a half and although I got some good rides, the coldness made my back lock up that evening and It’s just beginning to loosen up now. (matter/mind)

I certainly don’t need to be told that I’m getting older because my body and the mirror keep reminding me of it. At the same time, I’m still committed to doing the things I love like surfing, tennis and snowboarding at as high a level as I possibly can for as long as I can.

I am fairly certain that my ability to do so thus far has a lot to do with my high level of desire and my not willing to let matter win the battle over mind. The sad truth though, is that as time goes on I’m finding that matter seems to want to keep winning the battle and will most likely get the upper hand more and more.

But one thing is for certain, I’m not giving in without a fight and I’ll try to make the most of those times when mind seems to have been able to get the upper hand.

I have always told myself (don’t we all talk to ourselves?) that when I walk out to the beach and am fearful of paddling out, that I will know that matter has finally won and I will walk away from the sport and hope I can live off the many good memories I have of being a part of perhaps the greatest of activities on the planet.

So in closing, all I can say is “catch me if you can matter”. I hope you can also for as long as you can. Take care, have a great week and I hope to see you back here again soon or out in the surf.

Aloha, Paul

P.S. If you haven’t done so yet please check out my new novel “The Waves of Fate” which deals a bit with mind over matter and how we handle loss and diminished abilities. It, and my other books can be found on Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Thanks

The worry express is an easy train to get on but really difficult one at times to get off of. Worry, just like a train, often starts out slowly then picks up speed as it moves along. Often, if one doesn’t get off at an early stop, it will take you to the last stop called Burnoutville.

I know this route all too well as for many years it seemed like I overthought everything and worried endlessly. I worried about family issues, job situations, money, health, life and death and just about anything I felt I couldn’t or needed to control.

I also worried about forgetting things so I made lists of all of the things I needed to do or worried I might forget. The problem was, I often forgot where I left the list then had to make a new one. At the worst of times I also made a note reminding me to check my list.

During that period of time I found it hard to sleep, eat, operate well at work and at home and all it got me was an express ticket to old Burnoutville which is a pretty crappy destination.

After several visits to that depressing town and ruining my health, I finally figured out that all the worrying I had done most likely didn’t change a thing. As a matter of fact it only made things worse.

After the lightbulb finally went on in my complicated little head I decided to try and overcome my tendency to worry so much. I started by reminding myself that I just simply can’t control everything, that I needed to trust my judgment and intuition more, turn my problems over to my higher power and simply chill the heck out.

Bottom line, some things that we think are so darned important really aren’t and neither are we. Additionally, it seems like the more we try to control things the less control we really have.

Sure I still worry at times. After all I’m only human and besides, it’s probably burned deep within my DNA anyway. The difference now is that once I realize I just boarded the train I try my best to get off at the first stop on the line. I instead skip the list and do something fun like surfing, painting or writing or anything that takes my mind off of the subject and leaves me feeling chilled out.

Then with no lists or excessive worries things seem to turn out pretty well and when they don’t big deal because I probably had little to no control over them anyway.

So if you find yourself getting on the worry express think about why you are worrying in the first place. If it’s something you can control then fix it. If not then try and let it go, get off at the nearest stop and go do something you really enjoy doing and chill out. If you do I’m sure you will be a lot happier.

Thanks for checking in this week. I hope you have a stress free one (well at least as much of one as possible) and I will look forward to seeing you back here again next week.

Aloha, Paul

Last night, after two days of trying to get my newly completed novel “The Waves of Fate” published on Amazon Publishing and Amazon Kindle, I finally was able to get it loaded and approved.

I’d like to say it took so long to do so because of them having a crummy web site but I’d be dishonest if I did so. The problem is that I’m not the greatest at following directions or with technology. I didn’t realize that you couldn’t simply load a word document into one that took another format. First I had to put into a pdf format then get it on a 6×9″ format, then get all the margins just right which continued to have to change as I shrunk the area down in size and the number of pages increased.

All told, it took me about ten mind-bending hours of work and having to continually go through the entire novel to make sure all of the chapter starts were in the right spot. It got to the point where I thought I would never get it right.

The good news is I got it completed and the manuscript was accepted and loaded up on the Amazon site for both print on demand and kindle.

The additional good news in it all is that I learned an awful lot about my computer, publishing, format and so much more.

So why did I go through all of this? Well, as an author of little notoriety there aren’t many, if any, large publishers in this day and age who are willing to give an advance or a contract to folks with little to no notoriety. Many , like me, have gone to contributory publishers or vanity presses who charge for a part of the cost of publishing a work.

Well, first of all, I don’t have that kind of money at the present time and secondly even if I did I wouldn’t go that route again. My first publisher is now defunct and neither that one or the second seems to want to pay royalties that are due.

So even if there still is a stigma to self publishing, which I doubt there should be, I’m perfectly happy with the opportunity I have to have my book published with Amazon Publishing, which, by the way is free.

And although they do not provide any editing services, truth be told, my former publishers didn’t do such a great job anyway and hopefully, after about seven re-writes and edits that I performed myself, I shouldn’t be any worse off anyway.

Thanks for checking in this week and I hope you will at least check out my new novel and if you do read it thanks in advance and please give me your feedback as good or bad it helps me to become a better writer. In the interim I hope you have a great week.

Aloha, Paul

Ok I admit it once again. I am a huge fan of Ernest (Jim Varney) movies. I’ve come to believe the main reason I am is due to his character’s sense of wonderment of the world and things around him.

It’s also one of the reasons I have enjoyed teaching skiing, snowboarding and surfing over the years. Observing the pure excitement and joy that not only youngsters but older folks alike receive from taking part in the lessons always fires the stoke within me also. This is especially so when the individual comes into the lesson with a great deal of trepidation and angst. Overcoming their fears seems to also open them up to other new experiences and provides them with a sense of self and confidence that may have been lacking previously.

I know such experiences have done the same for me over the years. Sure some experiences may not have had such positive results and some may have come with a good deal of pain but in the end I don’t regret having experienced them at all. I believe if I hadn’t then I would be less of who I am because of it. It all comes with a certain degree of risk but without risk there is seldom gain.

I believe that if I was born in the era of the great explorers that I would have wanted to be one also. I love to explore and see and do new things and as Ernest once said “To go where no man had gone before”. Such experiences, I believe, is what keeps us young and vital at least mentally.

All too often we become all too comfortable in our existence and feel we are either too old or unable to try something new. Some just feel safe and secure in the ways we have done things for so long. This can become a trap for us and in the process we can lose that sense of wonderment and become jaded, angry and intolerant of others or think that the ones who are trying new things are being immature or fool-hearty.

In the movie “The Santa Clause”, when Scott Calvin (The newly ordained Santa asks the elf Judy why he can’t believe something he just saw she replied something like “Seeing isn’t necessarily believing and sometimes you have to believe in things you can’t see. Unfortunately many grown ups just stop believing in things.” Bottom line, they lose that sense of magic and wonderment.

My hope is that none of us lose that sense of adventure and wonderment. I believe that if we don’t lose them that we would all be much happier and healthier and the world will be a better place.

If you want to see that sense of joy of wonderment take a close look at the expression on the face of the young student from the Florida School of the Deaf and Blind in the attached photo that was fortunate to have been able to instruct . Now that’s a look of pure stoke and joy if there ever was one.

Thanks for checking in this week. I hope you have a wondrous week and I will look forward to seeing you back here next time.

Aloha

Recently I reread my personal story Chicken of The Sea. It had been a long while since I had last done so and I wanted to revisit what I had written.

I had forgotten that at the end of the book I had written down my wishes for what the future might bring me. I basically said that I wasn’t one to wanted to stay on in a job until retirement just for a watch (not sure companies even do that anymore) and a retirement party. I also said I would like to do more volunteer work, especially in the environmental and surfing arenas, write more, get more involved with my art work, surf more and spend time with family.

I further stated that I didn’t care too much about money, fame and fortune and would be happy as long as we could get by somewhat comfortably.

Well I guess I got what I wished for except for except the money part as things have been pretty much a struggle since I lost my job in industry in 2008. I’ve had numerous temporary jobs since that time and thankfully, along with my wife Kathy’s income until several years ago, we have managed to have  kept a-float thus far.

Despite the financial struggles I couldn’t be happier about the way things turned out. I’ve been able to give back to the sport of surfing through various volunteer surfing  instructional activities, have gotten deeply involved with the local Surfrider Foundation chapter working on helping improve the environment and have had the opportunity to speak to numerous school students about the benefits of Ocean Friendly Gardening.

Although I’m certainly not getting rich from my artistic and writing pursuits, I feel blessed to be able to spend a great deal of time enjoying both activities. I suppose as a surfer I love to express myself artistically and these activities are greatly enriching. Despite the lack of traction I would like to get from these pursuits I try to look at them from the standpoint that even if I touch in a positive way just a few individuals through my art and writing then it is all worth the effort and besides, I never went into either with the idea of getting rich from it in the first place.

And speaking of surfing, I have always wanted to have more time to enjoy the sport and spend more time with family and friends. I certainly have been blessed with those things since losing my job in industry.

Lastly, I had always wanted to work in a surf shop and teach surfing. I have now been afforded such an opportunity.

So I suppose, at least in my case, I got exactly what I had wished for all along. Sure it took some time and there were certainly a lot of twists, turns and bumps in the road along the way but in the end it was certainly worth the wait.

So here’s hoping you get the worthwhile things you wished for and hopefully without all those bumps in the road. And if it doesn’t look exactly like you thought it would I’m sure you’ll be just fine if you embrace what you get.

Thanks for checking in this week and I will look forward to seeing you back here again soon.

Aloha, Paul

P.S. I just found out my publisher Tate Publishing closed it doors this past month. Unfortunately it looks like they left a lot of people including their authors and employees holding the bag. As such my books “Chicken of The Sea” and “Byron The Lonely Christmas Tree” will most likely no longer be available through Amazon and other outlets. Until I can find a new publisher anyone can obtain a copy directly from me. Fortunately I had purchased additional copies for book signing events.

I hate to admit it but I grew up in a home environment with parents who were somewhat uppity and very judgmental of others. They used terms like “they’re not our kind” and made disparaging comments about those of certain races and creeds.

This kind of attitude was very confusing for me. Growing up on Long Island and going to public schools I was exposed to people of all races, backgrounds and creeds and I guess I was naïve to think that because of it everyone should be able to get along.

The other confusing part of my parents behavior was that neither of them came from particularly wealthy or privileged backgrounds and the only reason we had a really nice home and other trappings of wealth was because my parents lived well beyond their means. It was also very confusing to me that they still held onto those ideas and behaviors even after my father’s business went bankrupt and we lost most of the things we had.

Despite my resistance to embracing their ideas and beliefs, it was still difficult not to wonder at times or fully understand where all of the hatred and bigotry came from and how it felt to be the ones who people denigrated.

During the summer following my freshman year of college I found a job working on the docks in Long Island. One of the guys I worked with was a black man named Johnny. Johnny was a former football star at J.C. Smith University and a mountain of a man. He was also a great person. Johnny had an Irish wife and two beautiful children.

One day that summer of 1967 Johnny took me to the horse races in NYC. On the way we stopped off in his town of Amityville so he could check on things at his fish store. As he knew it would take him a while he asked me to hang out at a local bar.

At the time Amityville had a very large black population and it was during a time of civil unrest in the country. When I walked into the bar all went quiet and I saw everyone staring at me like I had two heads. I found I was the only white person in the place and most likely the only one who had ever stepped foot in the place.

At first I felt very uneasy and it struck me that this is how any minority must feel in a similar setting. After a bit of third degree questioning, a few beers and a bit of banter, however, I started to feel at home and very safe. After a while we even discussed race relations and they were very open and honest about how tough it was being a minority in this country.

They confided in me that they really respected Johnny but couldn’t understand why the local girls in the town weren’t good enough for Johnny so that he felt the need to marry a white woman. I knew Johnny well enough to know he married for love but I could certainly not argue with their logic.

That episode helped to clarify for me that we are all the same regardless of race, background, nationality or sexual persuasion and that we all want the same things in life and to be treated as equals.

I later became very interested in the freedom movement led by Martin Luther King. I had a black roommate for a while my sophomore year who led a protest at Belmont Abbey College where I attended that year and I saw how he was treated because of it. As a matter of fact my parents forced me to change room mates because of his color saying they would disown me if I didn’t. Although my room mate understood, I was both embarrassed and heartbroken over it.

We used to play a lot of card games in the suite so my later room mate taped the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of spades (royal flush) on the want. Later in the evening the day that Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated I returned to my room to find the king of spades lying face down on the floor. Although it may have been a coincidence, to me it seemed  like it was God’s way of showing  us how saddened he was over this great man’s death.

What Dr. King, the constitution and the bible has tried to tell us is that we are all equal and  have the God given right to be treated as such. I hope Dr. King’s legacy lives on and we never forget as a nation what he and so many others have fought for. After all, that’s what our nation was supposed to be founded upon in the first place.

Thanks for checking in this week and I hope none of us ever give up the fight for the things we believe in and that we will always be open to a better idea and way of looking at things.

Aloha, Paul

As I enter my fifty second year as a surfer I came to consider all that the sport has meant to me and my life.

My first thought was of just how old I am. The second was of how blessed I am to still be enjoying it, especially in the manner I am still able to. I thankful to be able to still ride mostly short boards and in all of the conditions we are presented with here on the east coast.

To a certain degree I have always felt that surfing has saved my life or at the very least enriched it to a great extent. After nearly drowning as a child I didn’t for the longest time dare to even enter the ocean. On top of it all, coming from a very difficult home environment as a child, I also carried with me a very low self esteem and fear of so many things.

My first attempt at surfing, though meager at best, seemed to change something deep within me. I started to become more self assured, strong and self confident. Although the transformation did not happen overnight my continuing in the sport slowly and most definitely improved both my physical and emotional state of being.

It has been a bell weather presence in my life and has been a source of strength, joy and well being at the times in my life when I dearly needed those things.

Through the sport I have made great friends and relationships, been inspired to write and paint about the sport, been able to pass along the stoke of surfing to others through instruction, learned about the challenges our waves and oceans face and as such became compelled to act as an activist in their behalf and have even found employment within the industry.

Although I’ve never traveled extensively to surf, I have been blessed to have surfed the entire East Coast, The Gulf of Mexico, California and the Big Island of Hawaii and as such I do not in any way feel cheated.

While I’ve  had the opportunity to surf in waves to fifteen feet I’ve always been just as stoked to surf in two foot slop especially if it’s with my buddies. Sure it gets more difficult each year to surf in cold conditions but I’d rather be cold and not as agile as long as I’m in the medium.

I know for certain I would not try and stay in as good a shape if I didn’t surf, I certainly don’t think my mood would be as good if I didn’t and I do believe it keeps me feeling younger than if I didn’t.

As each year passes I understand I am getting closer and closer to the day when the wheels will fall off, per se, and I won’t be able to continue to surf. Somehow though I don’t think it will trouble me too much. After all, who can be sad if they were able to enjoy something so wonderful for so long. Besides, even if I can’t surf I’ll find some way to stay connected with the ocean and the sport.

I remember years ago when surfing at Virginia Beach seeing this older man who couldn’t surf anymore show up at the jetty. He had this very long board and was wearing what looked like foul weather gear. He would paddle out into the line up and just hang out there with the crew for a while then paddle in seemingly content. Now that’s a true love of the sport.

Thanks again for checking in and whether it’s surfing or some other thing you are involved with, never lose your stoke for it and be thankful for having it in your life.

Aloha, Paul

This morning while between lulls while surfing I reflected on the year just passed and the new one starting today.

Certainly this past year had it’s share of heartache, disappointments and struggles but looking at it from a glass half full perspective I came to realize it seemed to offer more than it’s share of positives.

While we were sad our daughter Ashley and her husband Damian moved out to the Seattle area this past spring, it also enabled me to spend some quality time with our daughter as we drove out west. Despite it being one of the most exhausting of trips as we made the journey in her Chevy Spark with her stuff and their English Bull Dog named Buji ,we were blessed to have good weather and have been able to enjoy the beauty of our country.

With any year comes a bit of family drama and sadness but while we endured our share of it we were also blessed with being able to reunite this fall with some family we have either never met  or hadn’t seen for a very long time.

Things were also a bit of a struggle financially but I was blessed to find a job teaching surfing and working at a surf shop, both of which I enjoy immensely. My wife Kathy and I also enjoyed a river cruise through Europe which was kind of a second honeymoon or really our first as we didn’t take one when we married. We also got to visit Hawaii this fall.

I was also blessed to be able to continue enjoying the wonderful sport of surfing (despite my aching and aging body), do volunteer work, paint and write.

We all had to suffer through a very contentious election that seemed to polarize many in our society but as with elections of the past I am hopeful we will somehow persevere as we have through past elections, hurricanes and other disasters that occurred this past year.

With all of this in mind, below is my wish list for the coming year.

• That the incoming administration will do right by the country by embracing all of our citizens and stand by the ideals of liberty and justice for all while protecting our national resources including the land and sea as well as the creatures who live within them.
• That families and friends who have been torn asunder by conflict and differences in ideologies will look to find common ground and healing.
• That we embrace and become more tolerant and accepting of others especially those that either don’t have the same religion, beliefs, national origin or sexual orientation that we do.
• That we share with others our gifts and talents through volunteering and mentoring.
• That businesses do right by their employees and customers by being fair in their practices.
• That we all do our little part to make this a better world.
• And of course that we have world peace.
• In addition, I hope the waves that roll upon your shore are tasty waves that bring you fun rides and refresh your soul.

Thanks for checking in this week. I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2017 and will look forward to seeing you back here each week.

Aloha, Paul

About ten years ago while visiting my mom who at the time was living in Venice, Florida I attended a church in the town during my visit.

During the priest’s homily he said something that I’m sure hit a nerve with many of the parishioners who were largely retired snow birds. He said that since they were still alive, God had more of a plan for them than to just play golf or cards, travelling or watching TV all day (Or now updating our FB status). After he said it there was a great deal of shuffling in seats and embarrassed looks.

I’m sure it didn’t make him popular with many in attendance but it’s something we all need to hear from time to time and I’m not just talking about retirees. I do believe we are all here for a reason and are given certain gifts to share with the world. If that is so then it doesn’t seem right that we should squander those gifts.

At times we can become tired, depressed and left feeling like we don’t matter but the truth is we do. Our gifts and abilities may seem insignificant to us in the big scheme of things but in reality there is always something we can bring to the table.

I’m not just talking about those of us who are healthy and able but also those who may have an illness or disability. As long as we’re alive there are things we can do that can make a difference in another person’s life or in the world.

It can be something big or even as small as a kind word or even a simple smile. What the priest went on to tell us that day was that just because someone is retired or out of the workforce doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to offer the world. They have a vast experience in many things that they can bring to the table in all sorts of ways as a volunteer or mentor. As a matter of fact they now have the time to give of themselves that they might not have had while they were working or raising a family.

As for the younger folks, even though they are busy with school, raising a family or working, there is generally enough time to volunteer, learn a new hobby or sport and activity. They also bring with them an energy and new way of looking at the world that is very valuable.

I’ve seen too many people that are only focused on their careers and then when they retire that don’t know what to do with themselves. Many end up dying at a relatively young age not long after retiring because they don’t feel they have anything else to offer or have other interests.

Now I’m not suggesting people stay busy 24/7 and wear themselves out doing good deeds and using their gifts and talents but I do believe it’s healthy both mentally and physically for us to make good use of out time, gifts and talents and continue to make a positive impact on the world.

I’m trying my best to not let any moss grow on me, despite my increasingly advanced age, and I hope you try to do the same.

Thanks for checking in this week and I hope you have a great holiday season.

Aloha, Paul

There aren’t a lot of TV shows I follow religiously but I really like the new show “The Great Indoors”. If you haven’t watched it, it basically deals with the struggle between generations working together and understanding each other.

I often hear people in my age group talk about the Millennial’s and how they either don’t care enough, are too attached to their technological devices, don’t work hard enough, are lazy or whatever. Sorry fellow baby boomers and gen-exers but I don’t buy it.

Every generation is a bit different and are effected by not only technology but also world wars and happenings and differences in style and thought. I think that’s a good thing. The problem seems to be that every generation seems to think they have their act together and the others don’t.

Throughout history the older generation think the younger one is lazier, less focused and mature and doesn’t respect authority and on and on.

The younger generations tend to think the older ones are too stiff, out of touch, not happening and simply don’t get it.

As a baby boomer I thought my parents were too conservative, less open minded, out of touch and tied too much too the past.

Those in the “Great Generation” thought we kids were a bunch of hippie freak weirdo’s who were only concerned with sex, drugs and rock and roll and would never amount to anything. The truth is many of us were but we grew from it and cause a lot of positive change.

For those who get upset about the younger generation spending too much time on their devices, they need to remember that it was the baby boomers and gen-exers who developed and or the technology in the first place.

Does the direction in technology trouble me a bit? Sure it does, but we have somehow survived all of the other changes that have occurred over the years and we most likely will find a way to deal with these changes also. Hopefully this new technology and the ability to share data and learn new things will help us to do important things like cure sickness, end world hunger and clean up our environment and if so it will be the younger generations who help accomplish those things.

Bottom line, we learn from each other. Each generation, despite our flaws, brings something valuable to the table. Companies and societies that think older folks don’t have anything to offer are making a big mistake because those people bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. On the other hand, the younger folks bring with them a youthful energy and new ways of looking at things.

I’ve always enjoyed working with younger people because of those things and because of it I believe it’s helped me to keep an open mind and a willingness to learn and do new things. I think it has helped me in everything I do and the way I look at the world. As it is often said, when we stop learning we stop growing.

One thing is certain, at least for me, is that the battle of the generations makes for really good humor and TV. ( I think I just dated myself. I should have said streaming on my device).

Thanks for checking in again this week and I hope you have a safe and good one.

Aloha,  Paul