More and More...

As Hip Liz has reminded me with just a short list, there are many things that are not diminished with age. Some of these I won't repeat, but "the freely given joy of a happy child" and the transportation qualities of the right music are paramount on an endless list of paramounts.

The list is so long, I could still be here a year from now. Recently, having viewed "Riding Giants" , I have become fascinated once again with surf. Nothing new and different here, I'm compelled by it, and it gives me The Fear all at once. I briefly (five seconds) stood atop a longboard twenty odd years ago. It was just long enough to hear the echo of Dick Dale's guitar, and imagine myself as on of the original big wave bums on the North Shore in the Fifties. Then I was tumbling into the drink. I never managed it again that day, nor after.

That's OK, the memory does not diminish. In fact, it lives full bore and tells me that I will manage to do that again someday, perhaps for longer than five seconds. Just call me "Laird", baby!

Even though I wrote of diminished capacity in the pool, the experience, on a good day, is as large as ever. To be rhythmic and strong as you pull along the black line is as fine a feeling as you can get aside from a wild, passionate bang with the one you love, or lust after the most. As in hitting one out of the park, you don't really feel the effort in your stroke (no, not THAT stroke, you dirty b$%*@#d). Your pulling along and all you are is part of the water. One feels like Bruce the Shark as he drags under all three of Capt. Quint's floats.