Photo: Unsplash / Sebastián León Prado
What Christmas gift could be better than a guaranteed barrel, a new twinnie, or a 10-foot nose rider shaped by your favorite craftsman? The answer is probably more obvious than you think, even if that twinnie or barrel sounds darn-near perfect.
At some point on Christmas Day, I surveyed the mess laid out in my living room. It looked like a bomb of wrapping paper with boxes exploded on the floor. I have kids so it sort of goes with the territory. And I wondered if they really wanted and or needed all that stuff. And then, selfishly, I thought about myself and the things I really wanted. The new twinnie sounded nice even though I have enough boards to open a small shop. An airline ticket to a far-off destination where that perfect barrel awaits sounds awesome, but COVID has been putting dents in those plans for almost two years now. The most obvious options seem endless. But then I asked myself, “Is that what I want or really need?” Eventually, all the gear and waves sort of get jumbled together over time.
So I thought about it some more and realized what I really wanted for Christmas was time. Yes, time.
But what is time other than some construct that tells us whether we are early, late, on time, young, old, fast, or slow? Our days are so structured most of us have to work just to squeeze in the few things we love to do amongst all the other stuff we have to do. What I really want is to be able to enjoy life and not feel rushed.
So what would this ultimate gift look like? I hope it wouldn’t be a subscription to some app where you input your to-do list and sort out how much time you have for it all. I doubt giving the gift of time would come in the form of some gizmo that stops the space-time continuum. (Right?)
I like to think it could be as simple as a card or note, as old-fashioned as that sounds. Just something that acknowledges what I do, reminds me why it’s so important to me, and how time, above all else, is what I need.
Dear…
For Christmas, I thought I would give you the gift of time. I know how much you love surfing. I know how important it is to you and how it gives you that sense of satisfaction and brings calm. I know you’ve felt rushed and pressured during your sessions, so I want you to have the time to pursue the sport you love stress free. I want you to enjoy yourself and not feel pressured to rush your session, all so you can get right back to real life….
Love,
Your favorite person. “
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year. Time is something we all need in 2022.
