catch the swell brah

i finally tried surfing for the first time. i was awful but it was my first time ever and focusing is not a strong point. i'm just going to keep going until i get it. time will tell. i know what i am doing wrong. first, i am trying to stand up way to soon in the game. like day one. ha. when the board starts to catch speed and i go to do the push up to get myself into a standing position, which i have no right trying, the nose of the board starts to dip into the water. instead of leaning back to compensate, i freak out and stiffen up, further pushing the nose down, and i wreck. the wave, shore and board totally own me at this point. i was taken out by the board twice. one was a solid hit to the face. i will defend myself by saying the waves here are pretty weak and close to shore. so i am trying to salvage while being scraped against the sand and it feels silly. i would much rather just relax in the water, until the wave has passed, and i can collect myself. i was comparing these waves to the ones i saw on the ca coast. the surfers there were way out in the ocean. no worry about getting beat up by the shore along with actual barrel waves you don't even have to paddle to get. so. i am wicked into the idea of simply waiting to catch the wave. it would seem that minimal paddling is more my thing and as much as it sounds super weak, i was watching the kids in ca just kicking it on their boards rapping until a wave caught them up.

i went to get most of my scuba gear yesterday. i finally made nice nice with the scuba team across the street and they were super gung ho about getting me started. this is going to be awesome and i try scuba diving today at around 4. everyone who has ever scuba dived says it is life changing and every single time you dive it's like the first time and beats any sexual or drug experience known to man. bold, but after witnessing the expressions on faces, i am unwilling to doubt what they are saying is true. everyone gets this far away, super peaceful look on their face when they talk about it. i want to go where they go and i want to see what they see, because for that instant, they are not looking at the world as we know it.

today i am going to get up the guts to hit the surf shop with my hemp jewelry to see if they will consider selling it. everyone who sees my product goes nuts and tells me i should sell it, so i know it's me doubting the quality... it usually is.

i'm also going to shoot for finally finishing up my mother's day gift which i have been recording all along so you'd get to see it. i have a few more shells to inlay but once the room is made for them it's stain, water treatment, put the shells back in and connect all the pieces with some hemp twine. then off i shall head to my local post office to send this beauty to its rightful owner. sweet. there is no question why i am the favorite even if no one is brave enough to say it out loud.