Turning the Tide in Our Favor.

Years ago, when I was a little adventurous boy, my brother and I were pirating a rocky island alcove on the Oregon coast when the tide suddenly came in.

I guess, technically, the tide never "suddenly" does anything, but we were young dumb boys searching for buccaneer treasure on this craggy outcropping, and we had lost track of time. It's one of those timeless mis-adventures that happened in Greek times, has been fictionalized by authors like Twain, and will happen to future generations: boys doing reckless things and losing track of time.


Corey and I didn't panic, though. We had a healthy respect for the power of the ocean, but we weren't afraid of it.  We had once rafted to Goonie Island (but opted against boarding its shores when we saw the millions [okay hundreds] of sea lions protecting its valuables), we had surfed the California coast, and swam in every natural waterhole that was warmer than 40 degrees in Oregon and Washington; so a little rising water wasn't a CODE RED.



Looking back, we probably should've yelled to our parents, who were never that far away (it was the 80s, parents let their children be children), but instead timed our 50 foot water escape right after the largest wave passed by.  We slogged/swam the distance in probably only a minute or two.  Nothing happened. There was no undertow or sneaker wave, it was hardly an adventure except for our drenched clothing and shivering faces. It could've been worse. So much worse.

But as young innocents, we never thought about the worst. You don't fear what you don't know can happen. We were protected by a loving force-field known as Mom & Dad. So we never panicked. Or at least, besides heights, which I've always had an unhealthy fear of, I never felt anxiety about anything.

Thankfully I never had to wrestle Vladimir Putin in a singlet.
 This might be the most disturbing image I've ever used.
I miss those days. Sometimes, when I hang out with my brother who is barely clinging to his thirties, we both start acting like little immature middle-schoolers. He's my best friend. Always has been. Whenever either of the two of us were going through something as young adults, we gave each other "poundings." It's a masculine way of dealing with emotions/anxiety/ stress/depression or whatever it was that was creeping into our psyche.  When we sensed the other was getting too insular and girly, we would just linebacker dive at each other and start a vicious tirade of back punches, arm-bars, and unsophisticated wrestling moves.  Unlike some brothers, this was not a violent act. In fact, these "poundings" helped me get through some very difficult times. It was great therapy; I've thought about marketing it: "How Spinal Punches and Body Smashes Can Pull You Through Anything."  Something tells me this would be a tough sell to the female audience.

I don't want to get too metaphorical here, but it sometimes feels like the tides of life are shifting. It's nearing fall, the colors are different, the smell after the warm rain is sweet, football is on television, and the kids are all going back to school.  It's usually a time of year I really enjoy.

But something seems different, now. Today. 2013. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Maybe it's the Syria thing, or the constant upsetting news. Maybe its all the crap that my friends are going through. Maybe it is everyone else's tide shifts that are affecting me. I can't quite put my finger on what is so troubling, which is frustrating, because if I have a spiritual gift, it is most likely discernment.  Yet I don't know what my own direction is right now, let alone my loved ones who are suffering. I feel, sometimes, anxious about the future.

Corey (left) and myself circa 1983. Notice
the L.A. Rams jacket. I wish I still had it. 
And I'm not an anxious person. Stressed? Yes. But I've never been the type to worry about what tomorrow brings. In fact, it might be surprising to people who know me well (who think I'm a pessimist), but I've always had an optimistic view of the future. I have HOPE.  I always think the best is yet to come.

But it's so hard right now. Negativity wafts through the walls like a cold breeze. Everywhere, everyone is frustrated with the state of our nation. People don't hold back their ugly words on the President, the world, their enemies, their friends. And we are all so sensitive, suddenly. So everyone is on the defensive, saying nasty things, then getting their feelings hurt when ball is lobbed back in their court. Vengeance is mine, saith the American...and revenge is such an ugly concept.

I've wrote a lot about damaged people this last year.  I think like anything, depression, hurt, alienation, its all just a tide shift, a momentary swelling of water that makes us feel like we are drowning. And people who aren't good swimmers tend to panic. There's a lot of panic, even from people like myself, who are good swimmers. People screaming, "It could be worse...what if there's a sneaker wave."

Love getting blasted by ocean waves.  
What if there is? What can we do about it? I've never been afraid of water. I miss the innocence of my youth when I didn't know the dangers of rogue waters; didn't know stories about people who fell victim to the sea. I miss the simplicity of combating the challenge head on, without over-thinking the possible calamities.

So I'm going to do the only thing I know how to do: I'm going to hold my breath, pray, and plunge in across this tidal flat.  'Cause come hell or high water, I'm going to make it to solid land, and I will gladly grab hold of anyone who wants to go there with me. If the sea is especially troubling, what's the worst it can do...ground me into the sandy beach?  I've taken worse poundings from my brother.

16 comments:

  1. I miss those days. Sometimes, when I hang out with my brother who is barely clinging to his thirties, we both start acting like little immature middle-schoolers. He's my best friend. Always has been. Whenever either of the two of us were going through something as young adults, we gave each other "poundings." It's a masculine way of dealing with emotions/anxiety/ stress/depression or whatever it was that was creeping into our psyche. When we sensed the other was getting too insular and girly, we would just linebacker dive at each other and start a vicious tirade of back punches, arm-bars, and unsophisticated wrestling moves. Unlike some brothers, this was not a violent act. In fact, these "poundings" helped me get through some very difficult times. It was great therapy; I've thought about marketing it: "How Spinal Punches and Body Smashes Can Pull You Through Anything." Something tells me this would be a tough sell to the female audience.

    It's perfect diction and tone in this that tells me, I need to buy stock in whatever publishing company signs you.

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    1. Thank you. Sometimes I worry that I've lost my tone on this blog. I need to remind myself to go back to writing fiction at times, as non-fiction topics can really pull my voice in the essay type direction.

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  2. Chris, good blog... Negativity, frustration and super-sensitivity are roiling waters --and the 24-7 "news" shows whipping up the masses don't help, either. It tempts me to just go outside and paint. Head in the sand? Or just reality of a different kind? A quote I want to live by: "...you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse..." Philippians 4:8,9

    (btw, thanks for using my painting)

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    1. Yeah, thanks Mom, and good verse. And sorry for not giving you credit for your painting; it was a late addition, and I was tired.

      You can see more at Margaretplumb.com

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  3. I really love this post. I love the way you start off with the story about your brother, and how you bring in the shifting tides. It's true - there's a lot of uneasiness lately. I definitely feel like there's big change going on (at least in my small corner of the universe), so I related with the whole premise as well. I miss the security of youth, too, although I had much more anxiety back then. I was just an anxious child.
    The key to surviving sneaker waves and getting pulled under - don't panic. ;)

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    1. Thanks Natalie, I don't often feel my true writing mojo very often anymore, but this one felt...easy.

      I hope your end of the world will settle. I have a feeling your going to ride a wave all the way to somewhere awesome. Just a weird feeling I have.

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  4. This was a great piece Chris. Keep your chin up. There's lots of us flopping around in the water with you.

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    1. Thanks. I'm not lifeguard, but I've helped struggling swimmers out before.

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  5. It's been awhile since I've found time to visit your blog. I'm glad I caught this one. I certainly understand what you are saying about shifting tides, as I am going through that in my own life. Like you, I have to choose not to panic, but to trust that I will be led to solid ground again.

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    1. Thanks Julie. You'll be fine, it takes some time to get rid of sea legs when you re-land on America.

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  6. By the way, I love the new look for your blog.

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  7. Again and again, I really like reading your perspectives.

    Janet

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    1. Thanks for reading and commenting Janet. I appreciate your loyalty.

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  8. Chris, I think you hit a chord in the hectic rhythm of many of our lives these days. In a time when we [westerners] are so consumed with our individual potentials, trying to become totally self reliant and barely finding the time for friends. You hit the pause/reset button in your blog. Most of us forget we have that button in our emotional lives, and by the time our eyes skim across the pause or reset, it may be too late to preserve some of the most important aspects of being alive. We may have already lost contact with the friends and loved ones who give us our compass. A timely blog.

    Dad (Mike Plumb)

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    1. Thanks Dad. (Wow, both Mom and Dad on the same blog?). I get the feeling I need to go out and visit you guys now (my moral compasses?).

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  9. I'm a believer that life can always get worse because it reminds me that in reality, it is not so bad. Many people don't get it though.

    It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of months with Syria and other things taking place. I have come to except what might be the inevitable and started to plan accordingly. While at the same time, keeping things going as normal.

    I think a lot of times that people don't realize they aren't seeing friends and family. For me it sucks as I am working two full time jobs and I am strangely getting used to it. Though, I will see how that goes this winter when it gets in the way of my passion for snow sports.

    Buck up bud. Just remember who you are and that ultimately we can't change much of the world. Just the few people around us in hopes to set off a chain of events. You gotta learn to lean with it. Sometimes you just need to let yourself break though. Just go meditate, get away from it all and re locate what you have lost of yourself.

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