For Whom the Bells Toll and FEAR?

I have to have a laugh at the Cosmic Joker when it comes to dealing the cards out in my life and looking at the hands I'm constantly being dealt.

I went down to Byron Bay on the 2nd of May this year to see a Q&A screening of 'PGS: The Movie' at the same theatre that I saw the surfer Mark Occhilupo give a talk about surfing -

FISHPEOPLE?

Mark Occhilupo on stage at Byron Bay, Feb, 2019

I like watching surfers from the safety of the beach, cinema chair or my couch, but I'm shit-scared of hitting the water because of my fear of sharks, drowning or breaking my neck from being dumped into a sand bar.

I get why people find surfing so spiritual, but I can find that spirituality from walking a beach or walking a bush track, without risking my life in the water and never really feeling at ease being in it from some past experiences I've had in the water.

I was listening to Bill Bennett the director of 'PGS: The Movie' in the Q&A after the screening where he said surfers are some of the most intuitive people in his opinion.

I bought a book off Bill on the night which I'm still yet to read and I asked him did he have any plans for another movie like this one and he told me that he wants to make a film about FEAR. 

The Surf Gurus?

I also noticed a blurb on the front of the book's cover by Michael Shandler from the 'Inspire Nation' podcast and I found an interview Michael had done with Bill (the one at the beginning of this post) about the PGS movie, where Bill tells Michael that it was surfing on the Gold Coast as a teenager that changed his life.

It was swimming at the Gold Coast as a teenager that nearly took my life ironically, and was the final straw for me ever wanting to swim in the ocean again.

Mark Occhilupo's broken and patched surfboard 

 I remember looking at Mark's broken and patched surfboard on that night at Byron and thinking, not for me thanks I'll stay on the beach where the only real risk is skin cancer.

Luckily, I didn't go down to see Dave Rastovich, as he didn't even bother to turn up, because the surf was up with the cyclone happening off the coast, so he went surfing instead, much like Bill did as a teenager when the surf called out to him.

Mark Occhilupo's career highs

Occ-Cast Episode 34 featuring Taj Burrow

Mark operates a successful podcast called the Occ-Cast which features Mark talking to some of the most famous and interesting people in surfing, including Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning.

I personally think FEAR is a double-edged sword which can be a good thing as much as a bad thing in life, so I'm interested in seeing where Bill's film on fear takes him.

Mick Fanning is attacked by a shark
 during the J-Bay Open final

Does Synchromysticism Sound 'Mental' to You?

After hearing and seeing Mark give his talk (minus one Dave Rastovich) I saw this article in the paper about monster waves at Bell's Beach eliminating surfers and breaking a few boards as (s)well;-)

There was also a story about Steve Bradbury winning his Olympic gold medal for being the last man standing ... literally:-)

Who knows where life will take you when you listen to your intuition or step away from a journey because of fear?

Last year I bought a ticket to see Chrysta Bell sing down in Hobart, as this was my commitment to drive down to Tasmania once more, but as my planning for the trip became more advanced that feeling that has been right so many times before in my life seemed to be advising me not to go, as I wouldn't make it to Hobart if I set out on my trip.

I guess I'll never know for the rest of my life whether that was an inner voice of guidance or just fear welling up from my subconscious stopping me from going down to see Chrysta Bell.

Either way that decision did change my life and I'm not in heaven yet:-)

Oddly enough, a sync-head I have great respect for when it comes to following his own path, Jake Kotze posted this message on his Instagram account recently, so I think Bill may be on the right path with wanting to make a film about FEAR I'm afraid to admit;-)

Personal (inner) Guidance System?

Surf's up?