Terms of Freedom for a "Man-Mountain"

I decided recently out of curiosity to read Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I think another reason for the read was to spite the recently terrible re-make now in theaters. Anyway, as I was reading I came upon this part I liked. Within the third chapter Gulliver is negotiated his freedom by miniature captives under the following terms:

              seems almost casual.

good ol' imagination

Found this video through a friend..... Just keeping watching, its awesome.

Brought the little sailboat up from home

I recently was able to bring my little 14ft something sailboat up from home to St. Augustine with the help of a few friends. After finding all the right parts Ben, John, and I were able to make a little adventure with her around St. Augustine yesterday. Oh and this is also actually the same boat I learned to sail on when I was 13 years old.

Film done by Ben Sasso.

Enjoy


14 from ben sasso on Vimeo.

embrace the goofyness

            Sometimes I come about moments of deep reflection and realization that spring forth bits of knowledge and imagination that help me to further my understanding of what living really is. The moments come in many forms. Many times they can appear in conversation, other times it might occur while walking over a bridge. Certain types may appear in dreams, sleeping or not. What I seem to have gathered from these bits, is that often what makes life more worth itself, is embracing the pure and genuine idea, that in fact we are all goofy human beings. Some of us just have trouble accessing that goofyness or truly showing it. We can be afraid of what might happen to us if we do. However, it is that simple goofyness that can make a life great and interesting. Just closing your eyes and dancing to music (whether its coming out of speakers or just in your head) and letting your body quirk into ridiculous and strange maneuvers because at the moment its what feels right. This is a perfect way of tapping into that whimsical substance we all contain. Another example might come in the form of coloring on your wall or maybe trying to sound out the letters and numbers on somebody's license plate. What about chasing that armadillo around your yard even though you wouldn't know what to do if you caught him?
             If this is new to you, its okay to start small. Try wearing colorful socks that do not match or maybe learning to play the kazoo. You never know when it might come in handy. Once, my roommate and I ran around the front yard shouting in our boxers because we were so stoked that a cold-front had finally arrived and we suddenly felt urged not-to contain ourselves. Another good one is singing along, out loud to the song in your headphones while riding your bike down the street (a personal favorite of mine). You might also want start up a conversation with the guy stopped next to you at the red light.
            I guess what I'm conveying here, is that I feel like its the simple quirky things we do, alone or not, that take away that lectured "seriousness" we all have adapted to which more often than not is completely unnecessary. Am I making sense? I never know. I do not want to say we should entirely act like children. Its good to be mature about certain things. There will always be a need for that. However, I think there are so many other areas of our lives where acting irresponsible and goofy are needed. Too many people use "growing up" as an excuse for not having an imagination. In my experience of  "growing up,"(so far) its keeping an imagination that makes living interesting. Do things that have zero logic behind them and just embrace the freaking goofyness.

the beginning of something great

My roommate and I recently decided to start our own series of short youtube films. enjoy.

some nice bits

Walking to the Sailor's Exchange the other day, I noticed this doorway in an alley by a rather miniature parking lot.  Turning around I also saw a very humble little bug. Both things seemed very loved. I found the Sailor's Exchange closed but was glad to have made the trip.

photos via phone:

Monday Morning Devos from CS

I was checkin my email today and came upon another one of the Monday Morning Devos that Christian Surfers sends me every week. They almost always provide a little uplift to to get things going. I thought the one today was especially awesome, and therefore I really want to share it. Instead of attempting my own painful summarization, I  just copy/pasted the message right here so you could read it. I think its good for everyone, but if you are a surfer its even more noteworthy. enjoy:

HOW JESUS SAVES THE SOUL OF SURFING Boards do get broken. It should not surprise us. We live in a world where tons of things break: relationships, economies, human bodies, our word. And Jesus came on the scene roughly 2000 years ago and declared “I can fix that.” In John 3:17 he said something to the effect that “I didn’t come to condemn the world, I came to save it.” Simple stated. Jesus saves. Jesus heals broken things. And there are lots of things broken in this world. Things like foam and fiberglass boards, which snap like toothpicks when conditions go extreme. But go beyond things to people. People get broken. People are broken. And all our efforts of patching ourselves up won’t make us right. It won’t make us who we were intended to be. And how do broken people get whole? Jesus must save them. In other words: renew them, restore them and make them new. When surf clothing companies make heroes of alcoholics and then cast these heroes aside once their contest ratings or photo appeal begin to wane, that is a broken thing. When surfers brought their wave riding to Lagundri Bay in Nias and transformed an island paradise into a drug-infested ghetto, that is broken also. It’s a broken thing when women in surfing can only get ahead if they are sexually and physically stunning. We experience the brokenness of surfing every time there’s a shouting match in the water, then a punch-out on the beach, then slashed tires and expletives written with wax on windshields. We try to justify ourselves by going green, while we burn fuel in jets to get us on our surf vacations, as we burn diesel to power the A/C in the stateroom of our boats so we can sleep comfortably, readying ourselves to ride waves on boards that are made from incredibly toxic materials. There’s something broken in that line of reasoning, that we somehow get a hall pass for our hypocrisy. The soul of surfing? This is a soul…on the brink of destruction. But it’s a soul that can get healed. Through Jesus. Through his followers, through those who would choose another path. Perhaps through each of the ideas shared in The Ripple Effect, your path can be different. So go out and make some waves. Your life always means more than you think it does, when you place your life in the Master of all creation…

sweet memories

          I was shuffling through my noggin the other day, and came about a certain memory that made me smile a bit. Discovering old memories is such an important thing to do.

             I must have been like 7 or 8 years old at the time, and for one reason or another I decided I was going to write a letter to God. A prayer hardly seemed sufficient for my purposes, and thankfully my innocent child brain knew that. So I wrote this little letter. I wish I could remember more of the specific details I scribbled in that note because it would have certainly made this moment of nostalgia all the more exciting. I do remember being very casual though. My words were something along the lines of, "Dear God, How are you? How has heaven been going? Please come down and see me when you aren't too busy. Lets hang out." Nothing too intense or witty I guess, just my 7 or 8 year old brain. 

            Some point that week I concluded that the only form of postal service available for delivering my letter to God, was by sending it souring to heaven through the use of a helium balloon. My mom took me to the store to get one the next day. For some strange explanation we had to get a red "Happy Birthday" balloon. I think it may have been because it was the biggest one available and big was necessary. A few hours later after a little scotch tape and some miniature preparation, my letter was firmly attached to the string of the balloon and everything was ready to happen. My Mother and Grandmother came outside to watch me mail the letter to God. I remember letting go of the funny little envelope and then we all watched the parcel slowly make its way up into the clouds. It was a medium cloudy day. Soon all we could see was a tiny spec of it sailing away, like a grain of pepper amidst a bowl of gravy. (that simile works right?)

             Today I know God received my letter. I got His reply. 

I plan to have made myself a member of this organization at some point within the next year

check it:


















www.worldbeardchampionships.com

seriously this is incredible

Disappointingly interesting

        Today something disappointingly interesting happened. I was on my way to my car after sociology and thinking about how I never have much to say in the class discussions. Coming along La Quinta Street I noticed several cars were reversing their way out. I had parked on La Quinta and was a little confused by this, but figured you know whatever. Note: this street is very narrow and is usually lined with parallel parked cars the whole way down. Therefore, its not too unlikely to see a car reverse or pull over for someone else to go by.
       Okay, getting to it now.... Nearing my car, I saw two other vehicles stopped nose to nose in front of one another just beside my own. Uh oh maybe there was an accident, right? Oh if only...  I arrived and then disproved my collision-hypothesis on account of the damageless 8ft gap between them. "Weird?," I thought out loud.
      I'm skipping ahead: After talking to each driver and letting them know they had blocked me in and how it would be highly appreciated if someone would move so I could go home, it became annoyingly clear neither was moving for the other.... or me. A girl came by who was blocked in too. This was great because she helped confirm for me that this was freaking ridiculous, yet somewhat exciting. We were both interested to see what they would do.
       Attempting to resolve this and go home, I ran back and forth between the cars to hopefully negotiate some kind of movement. In doing so, I was also able to learn more about what was actually going on....
       As I begin to describe this, please understand that I tried my hardest to believe that this was not the case, but the longer I was there the more I realized I was witnessing some pretty intense racism. The driver of the first car was slightly more at rights to not move because of his vehicle's position. He was also black. The driver of the second car could back up 12ft and be out of the way no problem. He was white. Now I may be using a little stereotyping when I say this, but the white guy was as redneck and toothlessly stubborn as it gets. His reason for not moving was also just a wee-bit terrible. He told me, "He wasn't moving because he wasn't moving." Well, I think when someone gives you an excuse like that, its safe to assume he is either very racist or very ignorant, or very both. The black driver, a bit more together, seemed to have gathered this info as well and refused to move for the principal of the situation. Okay I can agree with that more. I eventually told the white guy he was the most confused person I had ever met. I also suggested they settle it over a thumbwar.
        Twenty minutes later after further failed negotiation and no thumb war, the police showed up. It was over in ten seconds. We all left and went on our way. It seriously bothers me that such events still happen and that there are still people like that. There is the chance I could be wrong about all of my assumptions of the event and hopefully I am, but for now I think I have something to talk about in sociology.

some good times

This is John Taylor, Ben Sasso, and myself playing with some instruments and waders in the river several months ago.... filmed by Ben. enjoy!  

Monday. from ben sasso on Vimeo.

Here is something amazing to listen and watch to

#95.1 Man Man - Warmup 1 - The Boombox
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.


#90.3 - BOWERBIRDS - The Ticonderoga
Uploaded by lablogotheque. - Watch more music videos, in HD!


Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardener -  A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Israeli thoughts

      

       I want to be a teacher, I really do. I think its something I might actually be good at. Yes there are all sorts of teachers, not just the classic school type, however this particular type happens to my aim for this discourse.  A teacher for the most part helps to educate students right? Of course! I guess thats kinda what they are supposed to do. Though, I guess there are exceptions to that standard on account of well we've all had at least one teacher who did nothing but swallow up air and spit quickly forgotten words from their most comfortable spot in the classroom. (not my personal goal)

       When you travel, you meet the most amazing people and you often have the most incredible conversations with them. This summer while amongst fellow staff on the island I worked with a friend from Israel named Shahar. We taught sailing from the cove day after day for a little over two months. Though I think our job at times could be described more like a sortive strange aguatic form of herding boats rather than sailing. Anyway Shahar and I were doing this one day in our chase-boat, however today with the wind being light this hour, conversation was given the opportunity to have a bit more depth. It began like many discussions, focusing around American culture and its obsession with being competitive and materialistic. I usually agree and point out my wish to escape such a world. Then, in his blocky Israeli accent Shahar asked, "Why is it that you want to teach?" I answered my practiced answer, "To help children in underdeveloped countries get an education they otherwise couldn't have." Our words expanded onwards from there and eventually led into to Shahar's thesis, "Wouldn't you then be giving those people an American education? You will be providing an education for people to be successful. They then will then want to make more money,  to be consumers, to be like Americans." It was so strange. For some reason I hadn't ever considered this thought before. I couldn't believe it. "Hmm" I thought out loud. I was stumped and my brain was punching me. Shahar began again, "I think if I taught, I would teach how to be a good man." I like that." I said. Shahar was way ahead of me. He was also already a good man. 

         This is me skipping ahead: I think what I've gathered from this, is that no matter where I go to teach (the United States no longer excluded), I don't aim to make subject material my focus. In whatever ways I can, I will teach and hopefully express the need for us to do what is right and what is in our hearts. When we want more, we usually just make things more complicated, crush each other in the process, and then taking away that beautiful simplicity that is life. Why ruin that?

Well I hope that made sense to you...  it did for me.

catalina brain bump

   Its been a while since my last post but I think its only because lately my brain has been a constant swarm of thoughts buzzing about like the Catalina yellow jackets that steal bites from my meals every day. (still can't believe they're carnivores). Though I guess I also seem to turn to my journal more often than my blog lately.
    So I have been living on this funny little island for almost 2 months now teaching sailing and being a camp counselor person on the side. They said I'm called a specialist so I try to go by that title more as it sounds oh so much sweeter. Owen, the specialist...
     Despite the bombardment of children and almost nonexistent time for escape, I have been able to do some thinking. The island has a weird of way of going about such business. Something about being separated from the mainland or "real world" (as they call it here) for so long, is that you get a chance to look at your life from a sort of distance. Does that make sense? I'm seeing myself as if I were a bird (a pelican preferably) who has observed my life thus far and now guesses at whats next based on previous observations and thought development.
A made a friend, Kenton from Virginia, who works out here. A few years ahead of me he too studied to be a teacher and after a series of adventures has moved to San Francisco where he now teaches. We were talking one night and he said, "I'm in my 20's. I figure I should live in a great city while I'm young." I thought about this statement for awhile. As long as I can remember, all I've ever wanted to do is leave. Forget the states, forget materials, and hopefully make some difference along the way. Well... I'm not about to say that's no longer a goal I  have anymore. I very much still do, but Kelton's words have taken some influence on me.  Maybe I should live in a great city where I can be a part of my generation, part of people's lives, and experience a new type of escape. You know at least just try it for a little while to test the waters a bit. I'm sure theres ways to help out in a city as well. Being a teacher likely has it benefits. Hmm..... of course these are only thoughts though. I firmly think its up to God to decide such matters, however I also believe He often uses people to sway us in these things.

report from Shibumi

Okay so Im here on Catalina Island and I just got an update from my fellow crew, Georgia who stayed with Shibumi for the last 15 days. It sounds pretty awesome ridiculous crazy. I was gonna try and summarize the details but figured it be better and more interesting if I just copy/paste the email she sent me onto the blog. This is some of what she wrote:

So things started out okay...Rachel was sea sick for the first few days..but to be expected. Then...i think day four..i wake up to fumes off buring antifreeze in the cabin again! Great the engine is still not fixed. Also the cooker stops working...power is low agian...the bulge cannot be used..same as before...except an added bonus...the hand pump (whale) is broken..or did that break when you were still with us? Either way we are down to using that bailer you made to bulge! Then we try to fish...great idea! Then we do an accedental tack..resulting in a jibe and crap..the fishing line is a spool of thread around the propeller. I was feeling slightly confident after our visit to the cenotes to at least dive down and begin the process of cutting it off but was quickly defeated...my beathe is pitiful still. Thankfullly Rachel was feeling strong and we do in the end manage to get it all cut off in the end.

So things are good for a day..Then day six the main sail rips completely in half.

We start sailing with just the Jenny...(.the jib still wont unfurl)...things are ok we still have good speed..and are set to make it around the point between Honduras and Nicaragua. Okay Then day 8 the trusty old dolphin stricker that saved the boat..and the dock from becoming one back in Isla Mujeres...well the brunt of the blow shows up now. I am at the helm when all of a sudden I see the bow sprit moving differently from the rest of the boat. It turns out the dolphin stricker ripped out from the bow of the boat leaving a hole! yep a real hole in the hull! Rob comes back to the cockpit and says ´´girls get life jackets and your passports.´´ Yikes!

Then Rob throws the life raft overboard..that while box up front if you remember..i didn´t even know what it was...but instead of it working it begins filling and then pops..and gets caught..yay in the propeller. Rachel saves the day again with that diving task.


We realize the hole is only into the chain locker..good news..will not sink the boat.

We are a little settled..try to sleep. Then the next morning Rob wakes me up with ¨ Georgia i need your help.¨ I go up on deck to find the bow sprit dangling off the front with the weight of the anchors holding it down and thrashing about the bow of the boat. The main forestay with the Jenny is taking out anything in its path...banging against the mast..the jib..out of control. I just want to go hide in the cabin..the boat looks doomed. Somehow after about 2 hours of Rob being quick thinking and me trying to be the best scared shitlees helper I can be we get everything tied down and not thrashing about further recking the boat.

Anyway it was nuts and the story does not get better...for yet a few more days. Its day 8 when that all happens..we are getting low on food. We sail using the jib..we get it to unfurl and sail to an anchorage...still a ways from shore. Anyway to make a long painful story short...we stay there until it is day 13 with no help.

Finally Rachel and I fix the maing using a fish hook to poke the holes and then thread the fishing line through..I get some crap for only having baught one needle in San Felipe.. Anyway.. we end up heading back west.. which sucked in the end as we really were finally set up to have good wind (what we had been promised all trip) to sail right into Panama.  But it was getting late and I was not going to make it back in time for my job. Plus we were uncomfortably low on food. I was cugging a warm beer with each meal in order to feel fuller.

The main sail only made it 5 hours into our 200 mile trip back west...it busted again..Somehow the motor decided to work agian and we made it to Honduras this morning.

So that´s been the last 15 days of sailing...more than a few times I was envious of you being safe on shore. But really overall it was pretty neat. I got to take over your roll as first mate duties...raising the main, going out in heavy seas to reef the main, you know all the exciting things. Plus we did get some cool sailing in even though in the end we were pretty much where we had been on day 3 of leaving.

To read the other blog, click the "Shibumi" link on the right side of the page

departure

The last week or few days or whatever it was has been good. I left Shibumi and said my goodbyes to Captain Rob and the people of the El Milagro harbor. Georgia and I then took a ferry from Isle Mujeres to the mainland to hopefully find adventure. This began by going to the nearest bus stop, pointing on a map to some random destination that seemed nice, and then buying tickets there hoping we made a good decision. Tulum became our destination. Although it didn't turn out to be the most non-touristy area, I think we chose right.
The next few days involved running about catching collectivos, seeking out some of the ancient Mayan ruins, lying on the beach, meeting random folks/locals, and a bit of cavediving of which has become my new personal fascination.
          I want to take a moment to describe these underwater caves or Ce Notes, although I don't believe my words can hardly illustrate the awesomeness of what they are. I guess the entire Yucatan Peninsula is infiltrated by underground aquafers. Stretching over I think 150klm, the region actually contains the largest system of them on the planet. I thought this was pretty cool. We kinda stumbled into them. We went down into a few of these giant sink holes that allow you to get pretty deep in them. We then got our hands on some snorkal gear and dove in. I wish I had better pictures. I think it was clearer underwater than above. Anyway we spent two days diving into them wishing we could hold our breath longer to go deeper. If you swam way down you could see the divers shining their flashlights way way back around all the stalagatites(mites) in the caverns. Despite not having air tanks, with just snorkal gear one could still swim far enough back to feel completley lost and realize you're about to be eaten by some Mexican cave monster. You would look down and see fifty feet to the bottom and there would be black holes reaching off into some other Ce Note.
          I said goodbye to everyine again yesterday and flew into L.A. last night thinking about everything. I believe I learned a great amount on this trip about myself and about people. I learned nothing ever goes according to plan and I also had my belief reaffirmed that its still best not to have one. I made friends I won't forget and saw God through several new perspectives. I learned I can cook Mexican but can't handle their spices. I learned about new stars and had the phrase inconsistent weather redefined for me. I discovered how to create a good story for myself but also how to be involved with the great story that involves everyone else. I got to re-experience lonliness and and also complete grace. I learned what being stranded in a desert must be like and also how to read a book in one sitting. I was taught about how bad I can stink after a sweaty weak at sea and also how to get used to it. I learned the best shoes are your bare feet. I learned to keep learning as often as possible and that "ridiculousness" is still my favorite word. I leaned that a comfortbale life leads to misery and that believeing in our dreams is what makes life interesting.

I learned a bunch more lessons too, but I'm tired now and need to sleep. Goodnight.

a short clip of nothingness

hmmm...Mexico

So 2 days ago we left thinking we were going to Hunduras, thinking the wind was perfect, thinking all our technical problems were over, thinking we were set. We set sail in the evening and locked our heading on the full moon. It couldn't have felt more perfect.....Well around 3am as I handed the wheel over to Rob, the wind decided to take a break. No problem we'll just start our now "working" motor and keep on chuggin, right? About a half-hour into me sleeping the engine got a temper and began flooding the cabin with steaming anit-freeze. Well with minimal panic and confusion we found ourselves completely immobile about 9 hours off the coast o Mexico. Anyway the next 30 hours we sweated around the deck and cockpit praying and eying for a speck of moving oxygen. I think the 3 of us all know what its like to be in the desert, but this is like a weird version where you can't go anywhere. Its all up to God. I'll admit though that it was a good time to do some thinking. I started reading The Alchemist too, a perfect follow up for Miller's book.
So it took a while and sortive depressingly were back in Isle Mujeres. No worries though people here are great. Theres all sorts on interesting people to meet here. A crazy awesome 25yr old woman just sailed here from Key West single-handed and im pretty sure without autopilot either.
So its not lookin like my schedule is gonna let me go sailing any further..but i still have a few days to kill. Im thinkin of goin backpacking for a bit across Mexico. I'll go further if I have time, but goin off to some old Mayan ruins sounds pretty cool I guess.

I want to mention that I believe I have learned more in the last two weeks then I could have in a whole year of college. Theres so much to learn from people. Everyone has a story. Some are beautiful, some are heart-wrenching, some are mysterious, and some are completely ridiculous. I think Americans forget to do that. We forget about who is out there and care more about when the next episode of The Office (not bashing, I love The Office) comes on rather than taking the time to go meet someone. Theres some little "wharf-rats" (kids here who grow up on sailboats) who get tutored twice a week maximum. However, they are extremely smart, witty, and know how to have a great conversation. I think it because everyday they get to meet people who sail in from places all over the world. Funny how that works.

Spanish is fun too, its nice to brush up.

Isle de Mujeres

There is a picture of Mario's family up there. They came out on the boat to say goodbye before we left last night. He was one of our great helper's over the last few days. They have taught me so much about life. I think I will write more about them in another post when I have time.

We sailed a little further in the last 24 hours but it seems are electrical gizmos are still strugglin a little. We're currently stayin the night in Isle de Mujeres somewhere near Cancun. Funny I think I subconciously believed everything in Mexico would be yellow? Must its because its always yellow on the map. It actually is way alot more colorful. Also, its lookin like I may not make my due date in Panama and may have to be dropped off in Nicaragua or Honduras which is totally fine with me. 

I finished my book and just started another.

I also met a really cool dog named Samson today. He jumps 6ft off the dock to fetch coconuts.

.

¿Yucatan?

    After about 8 days of sailing across the Gulf of Mexico in the most inconsistent weather conditions imaginable and without one drop of land in sight, we have taken refuge in the small fishing village of San Felipe, Mexico along the Yucatan Peninsula. (the most perfect place on the place)
    Sailing has certainly been an adventure to say the least. From dodging oil tankers to engine failures to exploding wind gernerators, its definitley been interesting. The first 3 days were completley windless so we were forced to motor day and night.  At one point the winds became so glassy  we decided to just stop for a swim about 300 miles from the nearest shore. It was nice but I kept imagining scenes from shark films embaressingly enough. The next 4-5 days it gusted up to about anywhere from 10-20 plus nots. Oh yea and this is right when our alternator broke and left us without any power until we arrived here, so thats like fiveish days. Yea try untangling the genoa from the spinnaker lines at 3am in 7-8 foot seas with just a flashlight...
   The night shifts are about as great as imagined but they can be tough. A friend once told me the stars are the best at sea. He was right. I can usually find Orion´s Belt pretty easy, but out here there must be 50 Orion´s Belts. The milky way is pretty sweet too. The first 3 hours of the shift are usually nice, but I think we all find ourselves nodding off a little by the fourth. A dolphin might come by to wake you up sometimes.
   Anyway our charts and gps failed us in bringing us to an inlet relativeley well. Does the make sense? We probabably got stuck 12 different times on sandbars somewhere last night off Mexico. We were eventually somewhat rescued by our new friend Juan in his panga.
   The people here in San Felipe are the greatest human beings I have ever met in my whole life. Several guys committed their enitre day to getting us fixed and under way. Chucho, Mario, and Juan, and Flaco are few of the names I can remember. Flaco´s wife just got elected president of the village. So we got a new alternator, recharged our batteries, got more diesel, etc. Were in the process of patching our main sail. Tomorrow I think were gonna sail a little more east if we can get Shibumi off the bottom. Its only about 2.5ft deep everywhere we go and channels are nonexhistent, so leaving will certainly be an adventure.
   Okay Im running out of time so I hope whatever I just wrote made sense. I want to thank everyone for their prayers. God has been so awesome in this experience. I apologize for not posting any photos. I have tons but I forgot my camera connector chord thinger. Otherwise things are good. The adventure is real and everything is rediculous.

bye

So after a few days of getting the boat ready its ready. We have been preparing everything down to the smallest pulley bearing. We also went out today and got our food or "provisions" as they seemed to called.Oatmeal cream pies stashed away. Its all good to go.
The crew consists of Captain Rob, Georgia, and myself. Its a good mix. Its been really cool getting know Shibumi and the crew. Tomorrow morning were heading out by 10am! Bye

Getting ready...

Tomorrow I'll be flyin into Texas to meet Captain Rob and be introduced to the mighty Shibumi, my home for the next few weeks. I have had about a month to think about this trip now and I find myself about ready. There has been some interesting events in my life recently leading up to this departure. I'm not gonna touch any details but it seems God wants me going with some people and bits to think about. 

I am bringing along some books that will hopefully wisen me up some as I am sure they hold some significant value to the adventure, one of which is Donald Miller's A Million miles in a Thousand Years. I look forward to starting this one most as soon as I finish C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy. Reading is such an awesome thing. I also have a theme song I plan to use, a French song. Ask my roommate, John Taylor if you want to know about that. 

Worries are out of the question now as I have found it is better to expect to be surprised than utterly disappointed. I think Sondre Lerche taught me that one and so far it helps. I was thinking about "death at sea" the other day and although I don't prefer it at the moment, I have come across discovering that it would not be so terrible I guess. I mean, what a way to go, right? It just sounds so intense, disappearing in the waves and all. Anyway thats just a bit of mind rambling. If you decide to read or view any of these posts, please keep me in your prayers. It will be thoroughly appreciated and I promise to keep you entertained. I hope and pray that I will find myself completely challenged in some way this summer. I want this time to mean something. I want to grow. I want to find myself closer to God at the end or at least witness it. 

incredible music video: Noah and the Whale

The First Days of Spring Official Trailer from charlie fink on Vimeo.

sweet

Some things are really sweet. Chocolate, music, good friends, and heavily sugared coffee are a few worth mentioning. It seems that as days sweep over, I either knowingly or subconsciously have begun to collect these fixations in some spurt of neurological function. Its like zoning in and out of a lecture and waking up just in time to catch the most important part. Of course there too will always be inconsistencies we wish to forget. I am not saying I wish to be rid of those altogether, just perhaps that they would ache less. One can argue they add more flavor to who we are. So I guess that there's anomal(not sure if thats a real word) value to the negatives we collect. They carry lessons. I find more though, that its those sweet bits that keep me going presently. Don't just let them pass up, thoroughly take note of them. You are gonna want to smile about about them later, less they go sour. Anyway I am not really sure what I am going with this, thanks for reading if you did. Well, you obviously did if you got this far. Right?

sailing trip... take two

Awww summer, what greatness you behold. Every summer has its completely ridiculous adventures and moments. Its a time to completely lose yourself, or find yourself. It depends I guess. I decided a long time ago I would try to do something different every summer, no matter how incredible or terrible a previous one may have been. So of course being in Florida would be out of the question...

This summer I have made some general arrangements for myself. Its important not to get too particular with plans because like waves, they change. Through a crew-finder website, I was able to get picked up by a captain and his 36t sailboat called Shibumi. I know this sounds familiar....I tried to do something like this last summer in the Sly Dog but it ended in disaster. Second time's the charm eh? Definitely an interesting name for a boat though, Shibumi, kinda fun to say too. If all goes well we will be sailin from Texas area, through the Panama canal, and up the Pacific coast of Central America to Mexico...hopefully. From there, there being wherever I get dropped off, I have to find my way solo up California. I actually really look forward to this hike in the trip, being international is such a curious place to be. When I get to the great Californias, I will begin my pre-arranged job as a sailing instructor on Catalina Island. My actual title will be specialist and which sounds way sweeter, so maybe I'll just go by that description instead for now on. Ill be there until about mid-August. Funny that sailing seems to be the theme this year.

I think the people is what I look forward to most. I love people, especially ones I havn't met yet from other cultures. I think that making a story for oneself, first involves hearing the stories of others.

writing to write

I think writing is one of the greatest inventions humans have. Well writing just to write is one of the greatest inventions humans have. It teaches us. It can be done on paper, a journal/diary, a computer, on our passed out friend's faces, on our hands, on the sidewalk, on a wall, in a note, in our heads, or anywhere. Think about all the ridiculous peculiar things you've written on. I personally prefer to write in my little trendy moleskin. I do write on this blog now and then but if you scroll down you'll find the dates are few and far between. My moleskin definitely gets the most attention it seems. I fill it with thoughts, stories, ideas, bible verses, laughs, drawings, whatever. Yet I still don't feel I write enough sometimes. Its weird how writing something down, especially a feeling can clarify what is really going on up there in the noggin. I'll start writing about surfing and a few sentences later, I'm discussing some word or heartache or school or an adventure. I think writing just to write is crucial and can really illustrate one's train-of-thought. Thats a funny saying: train-of-thought, but I guess its pretty accurate, like there is a miniature train steaming through my head gathering and piling up every load of ridiculousness my brain throws at it. I imagine its similar to those little trains that go under the Christmas Tree, the ones that fall off the track so easily. Writing can kinda be like that I guess.

For me at least, I like to write for boatloads of reasons. The biggest probably being just that it keeps me sane.

a thank you note

I had a fun writing assignment in one of my courses the other day. The idea was to write something anything short but first choose the audience, choose the format, and also choose the topic. I figured I'd write a thank you note from a pencil to its eraser:

To my close and faithful Friend,

I want to really thank you for all your dedication and years of commitment. I realize that at times I have regrettably taken you for granted, but truly it is you that completes our purpose as a bi-purposeful instrument. Oh how the years have gone by, what great writing we have created together! Without you, my work would be only a scribbled bumbled mess of grammar mistakes. You allow me to start new and forgive an errors so easily. How swift is your grace!

As the years have passed, I have been warn down to almost nothing, and you a mere nub of your once magnificent self. Day by day we become less, but how close we have grown. Alas, we are a tribute to the greatness of writers! I will never forget you for the humility and hard work you have contributed to our efforts. How marvelous it has been! It is an honor to have served beside you. Thank you dear and close friend, I am truly grateful.

Sincerely,

Pencil

Life can be funny...

Life can be funny, radical, exhausting, soaked, dramatic, ridiculous, hungry, ambiguous, and joyful...but mostly funny.

I say funny because if you take time to observe your daily life it can be very funny, just don't apply pressure. I think about the person who honked and screamed at me, the teacher who gave a lesson that made me actually think, the person who I thought was waving at me, the chair I thought I could stand on, the friend who tripped on my leg as I slept, the guitar string that broke, the band I believed was cool, the new haircut, my neighbor's annoying yapping little dogs I want to kick, the scar on my wrist (not suicidal), the British accent I sometimes pretend to have, the roach in my pantry, the card game I "won", my valentine's day, my patchy facial hair, that times I drowned, the car accident I witnessed, the job I got fired from, the ridiculous voicemails, the jump off the St. Augustine pier, the attempt to take pictures with a bull and a bucket headed surfer, the girl I fell in love, the girl who broke my heart, the useless things I own, my permanently broken finger, the kite string that snapped, the test I thought I passed, my 6th grade first real fight experience at the bus stop, the words I wished were actual words, the sailboat I wish I was on, my flickering laptop screen, my un-made bed, the mysterious smell coming from kitchen, the disastrous first kiss, the family that loves me, the leprechaun I can't find, the jacket I thought was warm enough, the fire I thought was big enough, the things Im gonna wish I included in this post, my reliable bicycle, my empty wallet, the sister I wish I could see more, my roommate singing to in the next room, and the person who decides to read this writing. I think its funny.