Wednesday, what a day

I slid into the Jacuzzi alone as I did so many times when I lived at my father’s house in high school. The overwhelming heat brought back so many memories. Whitey tighties, bud light, and my old roommate Ernie. I also thought of the first time I stood on my feet after my accident. It was in a Jacuzzi with my grandfather, and it was so much harder than I had anticipated. I always thought I would forget that anything ever happened to my feet, as I seem to have forgotten so many other significant moments of my life. But of all of the things that I could think of on a daily basis, go figure it has to be my feet. Life is like that day with my grandfather sometimes; harder than I had anticipated.

The weightlessness of the water also made me think of Wednesday. Wednesday was pretty significant, and I have a feeling I won’t forget it for a long time. School was cancelled due to the fires, so I went to the beach. As I exited the freeway I pulled over to the side of the road. I stared in amazement. The world in front of me was engulfed in flame. After a minute or so, I continued on, parking where I usually park, and paddling out where I usually paddle out. The sky was raining a dry ash, and I felt like I was fleeing a war zone. The sky was dark; it had an air of seriousness to it. The water was iridescent; a thousand different shades of inviting blues and greens all at once. As I caught my first wave of the day I awoke to the dream that had rolled into reality. All I could see was red. The hillside was directly in front of me and it was so alive with fire that I almost couldn’t handle it. Picture the most amazing piece of art you have ever seen, along with all of the emotions that it stirred up in you. I saw that feeling in every direction; up, down, ahead of me, behind me, all around. It was an epic ride, to say the least.

After about an hour of total bewilderment and spectacular waves, it only got better. A pod of dolphins graced us with their presence. There were about fifty and they seemed to be in a jovial mood. I paddled towards them with innocence and curiosity. They responded with curiosity of their own, surrounding me for about five minutes. They would swim at me and dive at the last second, stopping below me to look at the bottom of my board. I could have reached out and touched them, if my own fear guised in the name of “respect for nature” hadn’t stopped me. The young were also intrigued, though their mothers kept them from getting too close. I paddled into a wave. They were right there with me, playing in the swell.

The colors of this majestic canvas dimmed to darkness and I spent my evening where I usually spend my Wednesday evenings; in LA on a bicycle. It was a good night filled with laughter and friendship. I am very excited to recognize individuals who also recognize me throughout my ride. Developing these relationships to ultimately gain understanding and appreciation is so important to me. This Wednesday was a good step in that direction.

The night ended with heartbreak while beautiful memories filled my head when I should have been sleeping. I am so grateful for so many experiences of my life, and the last eight months are no exception. I held on one last time to what I knew would soon be gone. It reminded me that, like that day in the Jacuzzi with my grand father, things can sometimes be so much harder than anticipated.