Over My Head in the Deep Blue Sea

Recently visited California and went swimming at Zuma Beach. Thanks to global warming, the once chilly Pacific Ocean is now quite comfortable off the shores of Los Angeles in late October. But global warming cannot explain the bad judgment I showed in the water.

The waves were breaking with some intensity. The water looked soupy. The wind was blowing. My brother has lots of experience in the ocean. He loves the water and goes surfing and boogie boarding on most weekends. He's been a better swimmer than me since back in high school days. I could see him on his boogie board riding waves about 50 yards further out than me. I enjoyed the feeling of diving through the waves as they approached. The water had a lot of movement, great energy. The undertow water moving back out to sea had some strength to it. I thought I had the situation under control.

A couple of young women surfers, possibly beginners, tested their skills in the demanding surf, rough but not overwhelming or huge. One of them had a thong bathing suit-- definitely a point of interest. I noticed a lifeguard had whistled to some surfers he felt had ventured way too far out.

Suddenly I found myself only twenty yard away from my brother. I was about 50-75 yards from shore and got a little anxious. The intensity of the waves increased and I wanted to swim back to shore. The harder I swam, the further out I seemed to go. I couldn't feel the bottom. I was literally in over my head. We had separated from the lifeguard stand from a great distance. I felt a sense of isolation. Nobody knew about my struggle.

I turned to George, my brother, and said "I'm in trouble, I can't get back." He paddled over to me and pushed the boogie board towards me. Said, "get on." Then he pushed me in front of some of the waves as they surged forward. Slowly we made progress. Then he saw a larger wave forming up. "Get your body on the board and I'll push you," he said.   I felt what seemed like a mountain of water crashing over me. I didn't want to smack against the board but I foolishly let go of it. I got pounded around by a few more waves but could finally feel the ocean bottom.

The shoreline was nearby. It felt good to be alive. I put myself in harm's way for no good reason. I only did it because I knew my brother surfed only a short distance away. I showed bad judgment, underestimated the awesome power of the sea. I tried not to kick myself too hard. Life felt precious to me, something sweet. And I was still around to enjoy it.

Beer and Baseball

Made the scene at two Missoula bars last night-- Alan Vick's and the Missoula Club. Motivated to drink and sit at the solid oak bars in order to observe Houston Astros play New York Yankees. I lived in NY for my first 22 years. Spent the next 44 years in Texas. I even lived in Houston for four years. That's pretty good for an Austin hippie.

My loyalties were split. I grew up on the Yankees in the heyday of Mantle, Maris, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. The Yankee players had #8 embroidered on their sleeves to honor the passing of Yogi. But 40 years led to a conversion. Changing baseball teams is like a religious conversion-- like going from Catholic to Baptist or something. But I felt my heart going in the direction of the orange uniforms. And Houston won the game 3-0, right there in the middle of the Bronx.

I drank too much beer. Got a little drunk. Missoula has great bars. Enjoyed talking with my buddy Reed and the newly hired bartender at Alan Vick's. She moved to Missoula from Portland, OR-- where the rents are getting too damn high. Same thing in Austin, Texas. The Missoula Club has great bartenders, young guys, former jocks and these two guys were from Billings, Montana. Their are nostalgic photos of Montana sports heroes all over the walls. Great setting to watch the Wild Card game-- a one game playoff for all the marbles.

You and Your Cellphone

Marshall McLuhan, my favorite philosopher, explains that all technology is an extension of the human body. Clothes are extension of skin. Car wheels are an extension of the feet. Etc., etc. Most obvious of all, the cellphone is an extension of our brains and central nervous system. We cannot be separated from the cellphone. This fact of life extends to all social classes, races, political persuasions, ages, religions and ethnic groups. The cellphone has won. Technology 1- Humanity- 0.

Of course, cellphones are not anti-human. But they seem to hold human beings in their thrall. I'm on an airplane flying from Denver, Colorado to Missoula, Montana. This is deep in the American West. I see cowboys, real cowboys in blue jeans and actual cowboy hats, everywhere on the plane. They are studying their cellphones. I get to Missoula and go to a hipster coffee house, Le Petit Outre. I recommend it. All the young women seated around look to be college students and slightly older. They are all studying the output of their telephones. Keeps things pretty quiet.

Should we be worried about this phenomenon? Maybe, maybe not. Surely we are missing something with our eyes fixed on a screen just a foot or two away from our faces. We are looking at the content of our own brains, our thoughts, our friends. I'm not sure how open this makes us to new ideas? Certainly the internet is jammed full with ideas.

Maybe things change-- with the introduction of a new technology? For now, cellphones are the winners.