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(originally posted on the TBC chat board) The Buddha teaches us that desire is the source of our unhappiness. The third Noble Truth is the cessation of pain: if I cease to crave something, I cease to suffer. The more I want windsurfing, the unhappier I become because of the limitations not just of the sport, but of life itself. In short, I'm tired of being jerked around by the wind. Tired of not making any plans until I see what the wind forecast is. Tired of making no social commitments in advance because "it might be breezy." Tired of feeling trapped at work when it's breezy. Tired of being psychologically disabled by "wind frenzy" when I might otherwise be productive and feel happy. Tired of staring out at the tree-tops, hoping for some wind. Tired of calling the windtalker every 20 minutes looking for a trend. Tired of the cycle of profit-driven "gear improvement," the rapid outdating of all equipment, the ridiculous colorless fragility of monofilm. (I didn't like monofilm when it was introduced and I still don't.) Tired of fighting the limitations of local geography. Let's face it: this area is practically windless. When it's warm and sunny and you'd like to be windsurfing, that's precisely the time when there is usually no wind. Windsurfing isn't "green." We have to drive long distances in gas-guzzling cars to do it. God only knows what pollution and human misery it causes in the sweatshops in the in the third-world countries where windsurfing equipment is manufactured. You can't schedule it. Unlike racquetball or tennis, both of which provide a good workout in a short period of time and are fun and competitive, you can only sail when the wind blows. And blows the right amount, not too much, not too little. Not being in control of my life and schedule is frustrating. If I can find a racquetball partner, I can always play, rain or shine. I can even practice without a partner. In 30 minutes I can actually improve--very hard to do in windsurfing. It's pointless and uselessly frustrating to schedule events that require wind because most of the time the hoped-for wind won't be there. Windsurfing is a sport of a thousand crucial pieces. If you leave your fin screws, mast foot, boom, mast, or whatever at home, you may not get to sail. You can't always rely on your windsurfing buddies to have extra parts. Eventually all this matter just weighs us down, we become slaves to rounding up all the parts. Was it Thoreau who said, Things are in control and ride man? For the most part, windsurfing is socially isolating. So few people participate in it that you can't talk about it with most people you know.
So, I'm out. I shall suffer no more wind frenzy, anticipointment, never experience a skunk
again. By ceasing to desire it, I end my pain. Take that, Wind! I'm no longer your thrall! |