Brokeback Sand-Dune
Abandon entitlement and embrace responsibility.
Last weekend was a skate trip up to Grand Haven. A new park there was built about 1/2 mile from the beach. Saturday and Sunday our regimen consisted of skate, beach, eat, skate, beach, eat.
We decided to renegade camp on the top of this forested sand dune within site of the skatepark. I worried about the car getting towed out of the park as we hauled all of our supplies (including firewood and a dirty-thirty of beer) up a steep pile of sand and along the spine of forest that would probably claim anything going over its edge.
The fire was established and as it was plenty warm that night and the forecast had no chance of rain until Sunday afternoon, Cody and Eric (Rookie) decided not to set up their tents and subsequently gave me flack for setting up mine. Rain wasn't my concern, but rather the spiders and other insects that were already invasive the minute we got up there. Hearing a coyote within throwing distance wasn't comforting, either.
After a healthy conversation like I haven't had in so long, involving mass consumption of beer and tending of the fire, we fell asleep. Not long after, Cody and I wake up to the sound and visual of distant lightning and thunder. Maybe an hour later, around 4:30AM, I hear rain pattering my tent and I unzip to see Cody with the same realization. My expectation was that we'd go down to the car but instead my tent was bum-rushed and in the struggle I managed to temporarily lose my sleeping bag to Rookie and have my tent broken.
I couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation: the three of us in a one-person tent ensuing hijinks like we were all ten years younger, while this freak storm pounded the top of the sand dune. The rain only last about 90 minutes, but that was enough time for us to fall asleep like sardines.
That was the highlight of the weekend, for me, up on that sand dune. But, the new skatepark was great and the beach was amazing. Jumping off the pier on Saturday, body-surfing the waves on Sunday, scoping out "babes" both days. We all got sunburned, which was a testament to the Sun's intensity as both Rookie and Cody were super-tan beforehand. This means that I got probably the most epic sunburn of my life... which I'm sporting with no embarrassment except for the attention it draws to my receding hairline. Hat's off to nothing!
On the drive home Eric and I dove more into philosophical conversation, which we have been doing much of lately, and this time turned toward how world-view impacts lifestyle, purpose, plans, etc. Eric has been talking a lot about Ayn Rand's book, The Virtue of Selfishness, which seems to be heavily impacting him. While I agree with it in part, as a whole I think it simply doesn't work. My argument to Eric was that the pursuit of happiness is most easily achieved when we forget it and put our focus on the well being of others. I cited the example of the hippo rescuing the impala from the crocodile, and about how the most respected people in history are those that sacrifice their well-being for others. Eric saw these as good points.
Lastly, I told him that perhaps he needs to see life from a different perspective. He's been influenced to have a sense of entitlement, even if it is a much leaner sense than what is popular, but he's still focused on his own. Rather, I encourage him to consider gaining a sense of responsibility. I struggle with this very thing for myself.
What makes most sense to me, is simply to do what works. Every person for themselves doesn't work - and no person is any more entitled than the other. Life doesn't owe us anything. We owe life. We have a responsibility to strive for the well being of all things, not just our friends, family, or selves.