If the grass is greener on the other side, then I’m a permanent resident
By Kevin Whitton

Have you ever heard the saying, “you create your own reality?” Bad Religion coined it in their prophetic song, “Leave Mine To Me.” It doesn’t mean that if the surf’s flat, you can conjure up perfect four-foot barrels and surf till your heart’s content. That’s is the unrealistic subconscious imagery wet dreams are made of.

Creating your own reality is the ability to shape or alter your perspective from which you view the world, for the better or worse. For instance, you can stand on the beach at your favorite spot, gazing over a flat ocean, ripples barely lapping up on shore. You can focus on the negative aspects of the situation—this sucks, I can’t surf, I’m bored, there’s nothing to do—or you can create a positive reality: it might be flat, but I can go swimming, diving or fishing instead; I live near the ocean, life is good.

The choice is yours and yours alone. But for some reason, it seems easier to fall victim to negative thinking. Pure laziness perhaps? Misery loves company? A spoiled life taken for granted?

The price of gas continues to climb without a precipice in sight, affecting air travel, food costs, shipping costs; let’s face it, everything is more expensive. We could easily throw in the towel and kick the dirt, whining and sulking. This is where the weak are swallowed up by self-pity and doubt and those of strong mind and will find the positives of a situation, adapt and survive (have a look at Charles Darwin’s The Origin Of Species).

I’m not denying all this is happening, because it is affecting our industry and our lives. But myself, along with the entire staff of FreeSurf, is riding high on the positive, now more than ever, doing what we need to do to create a positive reality for our ‘ohana. Hopefully, we can share that vibe with everyone we come into contact with, in whatever facility.

So it’s flat on the North Shore, but I’m not holding out for a wave, I’m not hiding in a hole. There’s an ocean of recreational possibility mingling with the warm, golden flecks of sand. There’s a skatepark with worn steel coping glimmering in the overhead sun. There’s a blank page, a canvas of potential, ready to be stricken with the words that float around in my head. This is my reality. I created it. Life is good.