for the past 40 years, there’s been a guy surfing bowls every single morning. big waves, small waves, tiny waves, or flat waves. every single morning i pull into the parking lot, he’s standing near his car and says “good morning” to me. then he tells me how the waves are, and also tells me who is out in the water. a really nice man by the name of Robbie. well, Robbie had a brain aneurysm and passed away last week. one day he was at bowls, the other day in heaven. just that fast.
yesterday i heard there was a memorial paddle out for Robbie at bowls. i see the boats pulling up, start to see the boys paddling out past the buoy. i was working but asked Yumi-san if she wanted to experience a surfers farewell ceremony, or funeral. luckily she said “yes.”
we all have flowers, the family of Robbie on the boat spread his ashes in the ocean where i’m sure he wanted to be. it was a sad moment, but happy at the same time.
it was beautiful. it was powerful. it was heartwarming. bye bye Robbie, thank you for being such a kind gentleman. we will all be missing you in the parking lot and lineup. and i bet it was you that sent those dolphins jumping out in front of us! such a magical moment.
i don’t just teach surfing, i teach hawaiian culture. Yumi-san was lost for words yesterday. it was something that goes back hundreds of years in hawaiian culture. surfers have their own way of doing things. for me, this is how i want it done when my time has come. cremate my body, paddle outside, spread my ashes in the ocean i love, i cherish, and i want to be for the rest of my life.
and as i was paddling in, i was thinking to myself. “Robbie was a healthy man. i just seen him last week. now, he’s gone. life is so short. we all don’t know when our time will come. but what we can do in the meantime is to enjoy every breath we take. be nice to others. love everyone. take challenges. explore. and just be happy with everything we have. as for me, i think i’m in a good place now. i’m just living my life to the fullest every single day. i don’t care what people think about me and nothing bothers me anymore. i’m going to continue to live each day like it’s my last. and when my time does come, i just want to thank you all for being a part of my dream life. i love you all.”
