Live To Write…

Write to Live.

I went to Hawaii a while ago. It was so interesting for me to see firsthand the surfing culture present in that special warm place. I was not a surfer as I lived inland by about 700 miles or so. I also didn’t live near any lakes of any size so, although I love water and water sports, being near an ocean was always a rare event for me.

So, yes, I loved my trip to the tropical islands of Hawaii. I would drift in and out of surf shops just to see the boards and other surfing paraphernalia. Perhaps what was more interesting for me was the people that hung around those shops. I was like a curious observer at an aquarium. The way the surfer dudes talked, the way they dressed, the way they moved — it was all so fascinating to me. I even bought a chunk of surfboard wax, even though I did not own a board and probably never would. I just wanted to be a part of the culture, I suppose.

I had remembered seeing a T-Shirt long ago before I went on my Hawaiian adventure, that said…

“Live to Surf, Surf to Live.”

— Unknown

I thought it was kind of a dumb saying. Ok, so perhaps it meant that you liked to surf and that you really loved it, and maybe that you really got a lot out of surfing.

AND THEN…

And then, I decided to go surfing.

Since I had no idea what I was doing I hired a local fellow as a teacher and he had a board for me and really taught me how to surf. He was a native Hawaiian, and unfortunately, I have long since forgotten his name. He told me to tell all my friends, when I got back to the mainland, that I was surfing at the base of Diamond Head, an incredible volcanic cone on the island of Oahu. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.

In the Ocean Surf… Finally…

During my time in the water, I remember trying all day long to catch a wave. It is much harder than you might think. It takes precise timing and skill.

Finally, near the end of the day, I caught a medium-sized wave. It was an incredible rush of an experience. To feel the power of the wave pushing my board — and me. I was moving quickly over the water. It was exhilarating. It truly was something I will never forget.

All of a sudden I now understood the saying, “Live to Surf, Surf to Live”. Although I have never since gone surfing, I can see why the pull to that culture is so strong. It is so hard for me to put into words. The sport of surfing is the only one I have ever tried that I can truly see how someone could become addicted to it. It was that powerful of an experience.

So what about writing?

And so, then, what about writing?

I see it in exactly the same way. I have never been a writer, just as I have never been a surfer. But lately, as fortune would have it, I have begun writing. It is so strange for me.

I was raised and educated in a very technical way — mathematics, physics, sciences, and chemistry. Writing and reading for me, in my past, were only done out of necessity. I approached these subjects as a dull and difficult task that need only be completed, not enjoyed.

I am now writing as much as 10,000 words per week. It is just crazy. And I am beginning to like it. How is that for a twist in a life direction? I am going 180 degrees away from all the things I used to “love”.

So now, with some trepidation, i say…

“Live to Write, Write to Live.”

Write on my friends… Write on.

All the best… Max