waxing poetic, again...

"The thing about the rat race is, even if you win, you're still a rat" - Lily Tomlin

"The one thing you never hear people say on their death bed is, 'Gee, I really wish I has worked more.'" - unknown

"The purpose of life isn't to arrive at your funeral with a perfect body to be admired. It is to come sliding in, beat up from the feet up, saying, 'Whew! What a ride!'" - who knows, usually the drunkest person at the bar

I was reading in TransworldSURF the article on the tube. Instantly I remember being at Dog Beach, OB, and pulling into the barrel, stretch-fived, right in front of someone paddling out. I came out dry, and did the smoothest cross-stepped cutback of my life. I had quite literally just quit the corporate world scheme that morning, and started following a childhood dream, to be rewarded by a clean little wave, and a hoot from the crowd.

Now, I don't mean to say that everyone should drop out, and become a deadbeat surfbum. Surely, there are those of us who enjoy the 'normal' road. I don't want to knock that, in anyway. To some, that is the dream, and I'm fine with that.

Thing is, it has been 4 years now, and I am not sure that escaping the rat race is any easier than being a part of it. Same bills to pay, same people on the road, same car to fix, taxes to pay, etc. I guess you have to weigh the pros and cons of everything. Is more time off/getting those clean days more important than having a savings account? Is wearing flip flops and a tshirt more important than a steady income?

When I get time to think back on the happiest moments in my life, they circle around a lifestyle that being on the fringe of society provided. Oddly, they are not all surf related either. And, there is usually a time of, "Jesus, how am I going to pay for ....," shortly thereafter. I wouldn't give up those memories for anything though.

So, what exactly am I trying to say? Hell, I don't know. This is as much for my benefit as those of you bored by reading this. Life is a gamble. It is short, hard, and full of head/heartaches. But, maybe, if we follow our dreams, the rewards will make all the other stuff seem small in comparison. -that can also be read as a question.