No surf today, I have to focus. I have to be in the right frame of mind for an epic showdown at Salt Creek. It is reading like a movie script, with the protagonist being the against-all-odds alcoholic making a surfing comeback. I, the antagonist have to do everything in my power to try and undermine the improbable comeback of our hero. I'm the spoiler. I'm underhanded and backstabbing. Crude, rude, tough and mean. None of the other peripheral characters know this, but you do, the movie goer, the reader, the hopeful onlooker. Even our hero takes me at face value, but then again, he can only see the good in people. He is completely blind to the underhanded tactics that the enemy is employing, it is just his personality, and it is the reason why you root for him. In the shadows, I lurk, doing everything I can to keep the unlikely from happening. It is up to me, to keep the alcoholic from making his heroic and historic run to the top of the leader board, stopping him dead in his tracks from doing something that will be passed down in surfing lore or in an against-all-odds sequel. That is why I won't surf today. To let my body rest, to be fit and ready for tomorrow, to do whatever it takes to stand in his way. I want to be Butler's Duke, the one that capsizes this Cinderella story. The big stage is set for what could be the final act in this epic drama. You see it is against all odds that our hero put down the bottle, that he stood up out of the gutter, dusted off and reconnected himself to his surfboard. Misstep after painful misstep, he somehow still sits within striking distance, and this is the hook, the drama that gets the viewer attached to the outcome of the story. It would be too easy if he were to exploit his talent from day 1 and dominate the scene like he should. He is our Tom Cruise, he should be at the top, but he'll have to get there by overcoming adversity. Were he secure in his dominance, the audience would lose the will to root for him. Missing the final by 1 wave because he didn't have a watch, forgetting to sign up for San Clemente, the nervous starts that garnered 2 last place finishes, if this was not enough, the story teller unleashes another curveball. It is the India subplot which is never really explained to the audience but looms large as an unsurpassable challenge making the reader want to concede; giving up on our hero is less painful than seeing him through to certain failure. Yes, it is almost certain that he will miss Salt Creek, he will not get the girl at the end of this feel good story. The writer wrestles with the script and struggles with scenarios that will keep him in the game. He smoked a little too much sticky green one night and he thought he had it! It would be, James Bondesque, he would charge to the planes emergency exit after it had already taken off and just as it passes over Salt Creek he would pop the emergency exit jumping out with his board and air surfing all the way down to the water just in time to make the contest. Realizing that this was a chemically induced lack of judgment, he had to go back to the drawing board. It has to be improbable, but believable. The simple randomness of the event has to be such that it creates this believability, falling under the "who could make that shit up" umbrella. Ready to go, ticketed, he is walking down the jetway to his plane, all is lost. But no! What's that? Muffled over the loud speaker, "…delayed…" Flights to Europe are delayed? What? Why? The transatlantic crossing that the Spirt of St. Louis is known for has been shut down due to Dante's Inferno rearing his ugly head on that frosty little island of Iceland! It is fitting that hell's wraith as Dante describes it is the representation. For it is the last of his nine circles of hell, that our hero will have to overcome to triumph. Yes, betrayal, the ninth, the worst of Dantes circles of hell; it is here, the symbolism that is being put forth to satisfy the writers desire for meaning over entertainment. This is the place where we lose most of the audience, but for the astute, the ones that want to get into to the mind of the storyteller, they do research and it is his hope that they realize depth of the symbolism that has been embraced to make a point. It is with these gimmicks that the writer hopes to catch a reviewers eye, and to make it a classic. It is his hope that this drama will not be forgotten, but be used to teach fundamental truths of good versus evil for generations to come. Our antagonist, the betrayer, has first been foiled by the angry Icelandic inferno and now he must create bolder more devious plans. This is where we are now. How will the next chapter play out? Will our hero win? Will the villain's tactics prevail?
This story and "In God’s Hands" are the best evidence for surfers to stay away from trying to be intellectual. This could easily contend for the title of worst production of all time, which “In God’s Hands” currently owns… At least this one is non-fiction.
Anyway, I'm ready to surf tomorrow, I feel pretty good, I'll pick Jay up at 5:30. Even without any drama, well have a fun day of surfing since at Salt Creek! That is why I'm not surfing today. Rest for multiple sessions tomorrow, I'm looking forward to it!
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I had to reflect on this blog entry for awhile before I could comment. As I read this blog I was struck by a number of thoughts. My first was that this is the first chapter in a story that introduces the characters and exposes a plot containing good, evil, challenges, competition, and dramatic events to come. It promises to entertain with humor mixed with the ever popular hero and villain.
ReplyDeleteI say chapter because it begs for a continuing story line that satisfies the implicit promise that there is more to come. I come to that conclusion from an early sentence saying “It is reading like a movie script...”. It also implies that there is more to come because it is a preamble to an event the main characters will participate in the following day. I hope the saga continues with future blog chapters.
My second thought was that the author has a talent for writing that would be a shame to waste. Life gets busy and one so successful in his day to day vocation is likely to ignore or put off developing and utilizing this talent for future day when there is more time. Well, take it from one who knows, free time only occurs when time has run out. Writing is a form of persistent expression that gives to others, be it ideas and insights or just pure entertainment. The audience may be large, or maybe just family and close friends. In any case an authors writing captures memories and becomes more valuable as the life clock ticks.
But the most significant thing I see is a deeper, richer, true story of persistence, courage, insight, humanity, and great friendship. This aspect of the story is the most impressive and moving. The characters in this story are real and their play in the game in life are truly inspirational. Thank you for that.