Life’s Up!

Podcast of Blog Post:

From the UK today, down on the coasts of Cornwall, comes an interesting article that puts a Celtic twist to the old Snoopy/Bart Simpson exclamation, “cowabunga!”: “Surfing Survivors: Charity Making Waves in Battle to Help Ex-Soldiers Beat the Blues.”

What a great way to do what needs to be done, eh?

From what I understand, folks down in Cornwall are pretty proud of their heritage, their language, and their land. And with beaches and waves like the ones the article shows, who wouldn’t be?

The ocean hits something very core in many of us, especially those who have lived their lives on islands such as the UK. In one way, the water always threatens to engulf us, draw us down, only to spit back what’s left of us into an uncaring world.

In other ways, though, it has a power that can lift us if we work with it, if we understand its backs and forths, if we give way to it when we should, if we take it on when it’s willing to give us a fighting chance.

Now if that doesn’t sound like a pretty good metaphor not only for the trauma of War, but also for how to take Life on afterwards, move forward, and use what it takes to do what needs to be done, I ask you: where are you going to find a better one?

But even if you do…

Down in coastal Cornwall, surf’s up. And with all those consonants in those Celtic languages, there’s got to be a good way to translate “cowabunga” into a Cornish tongue-twister that is more than adequate to bring any combat veteran back to life, one wave at time.

Until tomorrow, be well,

Doc

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