If Jesus can do it...

One of the most cited and celebrated talents of Jesus is the story of him walking on water.

Well, I'd like everyone know that today, I walked on water.

Guess you could say that I'm like Jesus...

Without the beard.

And I haven't given a sermon on the mount...

yet!

But about the walking on water thing - I might've had a little help from my new (to me - I purchased it used), and might I say, gorgeous paddleboard and paddle.

I wish I could tell you how magical it is to feel like your standing/paddling/walking on water. You'll just have to try it for yourself.

Surfers get it. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, please check out the video below. This video features a lot of white-water and river SUP, but you'll get the idea. I got this particular board because it'll go from surf, to flat water, to river and white-water SUPing without missing a beat. Also, I like the guys who designed it as they strike me as water/surfing nerds - dedicated and addicted to their sports and the technology they've created to make their sport better (they'll give you a brief tour of the board in the video).

I haven't been this excited about a gift I've given to myself since I bought my Yamaha electric piano back in 2002. I was like a kid with a new toy back then and look pretty much the same with this new toy. I actually danced around it when I unpacked my badfish for the first time. No kidding. There were witnesses.

Check out this video of the super-cool Badfish MCIT (Multi-Chamber Inflatable Technology) Stand-Up Paddleboard.

I will do my best to find a friend with a long lens to take pictures of me water-walking, aka paddleboarding, aka SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboarding) sometime soon, and maybe even shoot some video.

I had all kinds of beautiful thoughts, feelings and revelations while out there today at sunset, that I really wanted to share with you all, but they are escaping me right now and I'm dead tired after working this morning (doing my thing as a utility/assistant camera/grip/gaff/heavy lifter), blissfully getting done early, then getting Marcus to come out and paddle with me.

He hung on the beach, jealously watching me, as his catheter prevents him from going in the water. He was proud of me though, I knew that for sure.

Picture it. I've been SUPing twice in my life, all within the last 3 months. Once in Catalina at Emerald Cove (which was beautiful and easy as the water was calm and crystal-green), and a second time in Malibu Cove (which was also relatively easy and quite fun moseying around among the seaweed and checking out fish). Both were off of a boat that was already in calm water.

This time I was on my own board for the first time, and I had to go through surf to get to the calmer waters.

I was like a squirrel trying to enter the yard of a electric-fenced dog to get to my nuts.

I paced back and forth along the shore, totting the paddleboard and paddle under my arm the whole time trying to find a good entry point with the smallest waves.

The funny thing is, I've surfed before. It's been years, and I was never really a surfer, but I braved waves bigger than the swells yesterday, and I even stood up my first time out (much to the chagrin of my dear friend Andy who took me out - apparently it took him two weeks to stand up!).

But for some reason, braving it alone yesterday had me nervous and pacing along the shore.

Finally, I found the courage and just went for it. I got knocked around a little paddling out past the surf, but eventually I got to deeper and calmer water, but only after screaming, that's right screaming at the waves "Noooo! Ahhhhhrrrrrr?" As they were coming at me.

Screaming at waves is about as effective as screaming at God. Just like God, the waves don't give you any sign of giving a shit.

Beyond the surf, I was in bliss. Hanging out with the big orange, low-hanging sun as I stood and paddled around the relatively calm sunset water, coupled with the sense of accomplishment and post adrenaline-surge relief from getting past the surf (and not losing my paddle or board or getting water-logged), gave me an overwhelming sense of being happy and present.

I navigated around for a while, grinning like a school-girl, then paddled in as the sun was about to set right towards where Marcus sat on the beach.

As I got closer to shore, he started yelling at me "paddle, paddle!" I looked behind me and saw this seemingly giant wave swelling and coming towards me. Still standing, I paddled franticly trying to pick up speed to ride the wave in, but ended up leaning, then sitting back on the board, landing hard on my ass, to avoid falling over altogether. Marcus watched and cheered, trying to help save me from getting tossed face-first into the shallow water and fast-approaching shore. Somehow I managed to stay on top of the board instead of getting tossed underneath it (something I remember acutely from surfing - seeing the board above me), and made it safely back to shore. Thoroughly tired, shaken, cold and wet, I walked to Marcus dragging the board, too exhausted to carry it as I did on my pre-paddle pace.

I'm embarrassed to say that afterwards, I was so thrashed, shaken up, cold, wet, hungry and thirsty that I became a bit of a sour puss. We quickly ran out of water and had to clean off and deflate the board before leaving the beach and going to get water and food. Being the rube that I am, I didn't bring enough of either. Poor Marcus got the brunt of my sourness. I promise I'll do better next time. Plus now that I'm a pseudo-surfer, I'm going to have to carry extra snacks and water in my car at all times! And a towel and swimsuit of course.

If you take away nothing else from reading this, and thank you for reading, by the way, take this: Please, go out and try something new. Something you've always wanted to do. Something that frightens or excites you. Something you never thought you could do, but dreamed of doing as a little kid. Pay someone to coach you if you need an expert to get you going. Forgo that outfit you think you need but will probably end up donated in a few years. Skip the extra drinks or desert at dinner (to save money if you need to do so) and spend that money instead on doing something new.

Trust me, you won't regret it.

Thanks Jesus, for being a trend-setter and example for us all to get out and do the impossible. If Jesus were alive today, I bet he'd be a stand up paddler and/or surfer.

Something I'm sure many a surfer have said.