Wipe Out is a surfer dude. He works from his van doing tech work for a large corporation, but his real gig is riding the waves on his 5 ½ foot board. He grew up on the north shore of Oahu and felt more at home on the crest of a wave than he did walking down the street of any city he ever visited. He earned his nickname, Wipe Out, the hard way. He challenged the surf on the Banzai Pipeline and had his share of wipeouts before he was 12. His persistence owed more to the big brother who kept throwing him back into the surf than any real courage or character.
He moved to California after high school, where he completed part of a tech degree. He left school and got a job with a large company doing tech support for their network servers. Having learned the value of getting back up on the wave after it tosses you off, Wipe Out began to move up in the company. He became a valuable part of the team but yearned for the feel of the waves under his feet.
After 15 years on dry land with only occasional respites on waves, he decided it was time to move on. He tried to resign, but his supervisor would not let him. Wipe Out was offered a three-quarter time position that he could do on the road. He paddled into that opportunity like a wave rolling down the pipeline. Wipe Out bought a van, installed plenty of tech, and hit the road, traveling up and down the West Coast for the next 8 years.
Unfortunately, COVID nearly wiped out Wipe Out. He was hospitalized in San Diego for several weeks. After getting out, he returned to his van but struggled to walk to the beach. Riding the waves was not an option.
During this imposed hiatus from surfing, Wipe Out’s life on the waves bore the sweetest fruit. He applied the lessons of the waves and found a more meaningful way of life.
First and foremost, the waves taught him to be honest with himself. He had seen many of his friends get seriously injured when they took on a wave that was more than they could handle. Everyone pushes their limits, but only fools take on a wave they have no chance of riding. This honesty demands a clear view of ourselves and the waves. He knew he was good as well as his limits after a lifetime of wiping out. He knew that some waves were beyond his skills and should be allowed to roll on by. Ego and pride would not help him when a monster wave comes crashing down while in the pipe. Honest self-knowledge was the only thing that could save you. Wipe Out accepted that now was a time to let the big ones roll by and listen to the smaller ones, inviting him to try again.
The second, but no less critical, is holding on to the love in his life. He was filled with a love for life while on the crest of a wave. He had dedicated this life to finding and holding on to that love, which made all the difference. It got him out on the board, even when he was tired. It opened his eyes to the waves as they approached. His love helped him know when to start paddling to catch the wave. It was all he needed before, during, and after the ride.
When Wipe Out first became sick, he was tempted to lay back and feel sorry for himself. But his love told himself that he may as well sit back and let his body heal. The sooner he recovered, the sooner he would return to the waves. As the days became weeks and months, his love kept him going. He developed new eyes to see and ears to hear that love in his life. As he became better at seeing that he was beloved, this love allowed him to ride the waves of time as well. He felt life beneath his feet, and the love welled into his soul. It was the same love he had known all his life, and it supported him on the crests, through the tubes, and into the troughs.
Wipe Out came to see himself as Love-Worthy, a creation of love in the universe. Love was not something he earned. It was a natural part of who he was. He did not have to earn his place in the universe. He, and every other human being, had that place reserved and prepared for them. By knowing himself to be love-worthy, he could face eternity, with all its unknowns, and that made rising each day much easier.
I will always remember and cherish knowing Wipe Out. He rode the waves of love that brought him to the present. And sent forth waves of love down through time that others have ridden during their time on the waves. It was enough just knowing we are of, by, and for love. We can fearlessly celebrate the eternity that surrounds all of us. Thank you, Wipe Out! You taught me more than you will ever know.
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