for claire as she sets off on her final journey
guys i know this looks like another long winded boring post but seriously, please read it, it means a fair bit to me.-violet
i was just reminded of something that happened whilst i was on my christmas break back home. i forgot to enter it and it's a funny little memory i wanna keep, also I have a point i am going to make at the end.
let me set the scene quickly...it's new years day. i haven't slept. i am haggard as fuck. on NYE i went for a 5:30am solo surf session...
(EDIT: dana that alliteration was all yours babe)
i surfed until about 10:30am before passing out in my car for 1/2 hour. skip to afternoon. Called ricky, my ex and was on my way to his house when i saw 2 bodyboard clad boys hitching south. on closer inspection i recognised them as 2 groms from my bodyboarding club, also BBHC show regulars so i pulled over and asked them where they were off to, expecting to hear ballina or lennox... much to my surprise these little deviants were heading to iluka as the swell had picked up and it is usually fairly decent in the yamba/iluka area. i offered to take them to ballina, which was past my destination but i felt generous. the boys were stoked as i had air-conditioning, a sun roof, power windows and hardcore playing through pig's (the guy who has my car) system(how good are sing alongs!!). on the way to ballina, i was inspired by the youngens attitudes, the "i'm 15 so i don't give a shit about you responsibilities" attitude. so i decided to join them in their little surfing safari, when i asked them where they were staying they replied, "dunno, beach i guess" so basically in an instant they thought that a surf trip would be fun so they packed light and thumbed their way there with no real plan. sheer brilliance. anyway we got there at sundown, went for eats (seriously weird small coastal town iluka is :\ ) and basically caused a whole heap of havoc in the pub, bowling club and a take away shop. we all slept in my car (well no actual sleep went down, they pranked kids from our phones all night saying stupid things like "you're orange" and "you're over ginge kid" etc.) we were up at 4:30am checking the swell which we couldn't see. suited up ready with our boards at 5am waiting for a bit of light to check conditions, which as we saw as the sun rose, were shitty so by 5:30 we were back on the road heading home. you would think that these 2 guys would be crestfallen after their little adventure failed to prove fruitfull but no, as soon as we scoped the best beach we were in the water by 7:30. they were getting amongst it with big ass grins.
now to the point i am trying to make.
out of the 2 weeks i was home, this was one of the best times i had up there and it was totally spontaneous and a complete failure in many senses. when is it that we 'grow up' and start planning everything down to the last detail?? if growing up means a steady job, good income, and pure boredom than i don't want it. these 2 little shits have made me realise that the summer is almost over and i have not had nearly as much fun as i want. where are the cmping trips? where are the long days at the beach being absolute fools? where are the last minute plans to have video nights that end in blowing up letter boxes and writing on your friend's forhead because they were the first to fall asleep?
i spoke to my dad today, he is currently in melbourne visiting his 26 year old girlfriend who's body is rapidly giving in to lung cancer.she has never been a smoker and her first tumor was removed at 19. her and dad were meant to be travelling around oz this coming july. just packing up and going. today her family took her to see the beach 'one last time' as they doubt she'll see next week. as sad as this is, i know that she has done a lot for her age and her and dad shared some truely wonderful times. dad flew down to surprise her and they said their goodbyes she told dad to go around oz this winter and that she would be with him in some way. this convo i had with my dad made me think...i need to start living again. i have suffered from depression since i was 15 and it has taken a lot from me if i die at 26 i wanna know that i have seen and done all that i could fit into each day. i wanna roll down a grassy slope in the middle of the night laughing til i almost pee my pants just coz i can. i wanna call a friend and say "hey lets go for a road trip this weekend" and randomly pack our stuff and be gone. i'm going around oz with dad this winter as company for him, you're all welcome to tag along for however long, the invite is open.
lastly, when i asked mark, one of the guys i picked up that fine new years day, what made him want to hitch the whole way to iluka he replied simply,
"because it's the school holidays, we're young and stupid and i'm not sitting around waiting for my life to end"
quite easily the best thing i have ever heard.