8/30/11 Tuesday

Rest Day!

That's some heavy water.

When I consider this image I hesitate to call myself a surfer. I mean, think about it, the 2-6 foot waves that I surf in So-Cal are so wispy by comparison. I hardly qualify to wear board shorts let alone consider myself a practitioner of the same sport. Maybe I’m being a little over dramatic. The size of the swell you’re riding is merely interesting. If you paddle out and ride, then, by definition, you are a surfer. Right?

I think my hesitation lies with the fact that when one calls themselves a “surfer” it implies a complete, unadulterated, commitment to the sport. You get up in the morning and you’re computer screen is lit up with surf reports; you have a cake of sex wax under the seat of your car, you go to work late if a swell is rolling in, and a wet suit is hanging in your bathroom. Every element of your life points to surfer.

So, if I go to a climbing gym and never climb at an outdoor crag am I a “rock climber”? If I run a sprint triathlon, once, am I a “triathlete”? What if I go to the fire academy put on a uniform and show up at a fire house every third day, am I a “firefighter”?

In our lives we assume many different identities and the answer to the above questions are deeply personal. You can call yourself whatever you want. However, who you really are is manifest in the level of commitment and passion you bring to the things you do.

You call yourself a warrior. Do you possess a commitment to your craft, are you fervently developing your knowledge, skills and abilities; honing your talents and your physical capacity? Only you can speak to the depth of your commitment and passion.

I will submit to you this one thing: “To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.” - Carlos Castaneda

So, you wanna ride little waves and call yourself a surfer? Ok, that’s cool, the obligation is small just like the waves you’re riding. It’s all good. You wanna ride heavy water? Then you better be a warrior.

Train Hard!
Rayne