"Are We There Yet?"

by Paul Finley

Any of us who have kids know that we don't have to teach them to ask this question.  In fact, anyone that has gone anywhere or done anything that requires some form of patience has probably said or thought this themselves.

My family and I went a few short hours north of Morro Bay to camp near some majestic redwood trees. We were hiking down a little trail that had markers for some trees of interest.  They had numbers on them, so our oldest decided this was more of a race than an experience to relax and take in.  As they raced to each marker I caught up and said, "Guys, slow down, look up . . . aren't these trees amazing?"  Well, I wish I could say that my three and four year old kids were keenly relating to my excitement, but alas, the race went on. My wife and I enjoyed the trees and smiled as our girls enjoyed their foot race, never looking up into the forest of majesty.

Surfing is something that confuses me many times.  I will sit and stare at the ocean.  I will watch waves roll through and surfers ride them with their endlessly unique styles and board shapes and sizes, and I think to myself, "It is just so amazing that we can do this."  If you watch a surfer glide across the water close to the curl or "pocket" of the  wave it is truly an amazing thing taking place.  Energy, balance, power, and grace all wrapped up in to this burst of excitement that lasts for only a few seconds before completion.  That swell, that set, that wave will never be repeated.  The reality of surfing and part of the joy that comes from being a surfer is that little moments are savored and cherished.

We are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful natural masterpiece like the Central Coast.  It would be a terrible tragedy to allow years, months, days, and moments to slip by without asking the appropriate question of not "Are we there yet?" but "Truly, are we even here yet?"

We can be a great people if we keep in balance the destination and the journey.  If we abandon one  we will loose them both. May every wave, sunset, hill top, sandy beach, or grassy field not be taken for granted. More importantly, every smile or laugh, moment with loved ones, friends, or a broken heart, we have an opportunity, like a wave that will never be repeated, to act in love, cherish justice, and seek truth.