Sunday Gravy #1

reflections on Tiger Woods, Feeling Swell, and chopping wood

This is the first Sunday Gravy installment - the culmination of my week. Stories, spotlights, thoughts, and pictures. On deck this week: Tiger Woods, Feeling Swell and Chopping Wood.

I’m Tiger Woods.

I split my time between multiple love interests. But the difference between Tiger and I (aside from the fact that I hate golf) is that my old gals have engines, two wheels, and leak oil.

The first motorcycle I bought this year, a 1979 Honda, needed to be completely gone through. I knew I wouldn’t be riding it any time soon, so I bought a 1978 Yamaha to fill that void.

It has done nothing but create a bigger void. Buying a vehicle that needs work… to take the place of the other one you’re working on… usually doesn’t pan out. I also don’t have a garage or place to store them. One is living at my friend’s apartment complex (big homie move) and the other is in pieces scattered between a machine shop and my apartment.

Is it ideal? No. Bouncing between the two drives me crazy. Working in a space that’s not mine is frustrating. Decorating my car/apartment with disassembled engines and a harbor freight work bench is not amazing. Chasing down electrical problems in a dimly lit parking garage is the bane of my existence. Forgetting something after driving 45 minutes makes me want to crawl into the ground. I feel like giving up at least twice a day.

Yet I still love doing it. My frustrations and threats to set the bikes on fire aside, I love figuring shit out. I want to step back and say “I fixed that with my own two hands". I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. I think you need at least one good gut-check a year. Doesn’t matter what activity it is or how long it lasts, but you’ve gotta find something that puts you on the brink of quitting… and then not quit. I’ve quit things before. That feeling disgusted me. It still does, and I recognized quitting too often creates a habit that leeches into every aspect of life. Doing something challenging means you won’t win immediately. That’s what doing easy shit is for. You might lose five times and win once… but if that one win gives you the confidence to keep playing the game, you know you’re doing something right.

So yeah, I’m running myself ragged between 2 motorcycles… but I’d rather do that than sit at home. I’m all over the place, disorganized, stressed…

But I’m Feeling Swell.

And I realized that on Sunday morning. I’m walking to my car, carrying my camera and a bunch of motorcycle parts. I walk past a store I’d never noticed before: Feeling Swell Surf Community.

I decide to stop in, and it’s just me and the one dude manning the shop. I come to find out that dude’s name is Eric. He runs the brand with his brother.

I walked around the shop - surfboards on the white walls, a cool leather couch, some sweet hats and shirts, and a funny sign adorning the main desk. I’m usually not a talker. I’m actually a man of few words to most… but at 9:30 on Sunday morning I felt like talking. Maybe because I was the only one in there, because I was intrigued by the way the space was brought to life, or because a good graphic tee always piques my interest.

I spent a few minutes talking to Eric… about Feeling Swell, the space, photography, his Ford Falcon, and how they donate 15% to mental health.

It was refreshing. I’ve been struggling trying to make so many things work in so little time. Talking to someone else who’s built something unique, with their hard work and creativity, was what I needed to keep playing the game today.

I’ll be stopping back in their shop, and if you’re in Venice you should too. Their website / Instagram is linked at the bottom.

It’s alright to step away and take a break. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy, it just means you’re human. It doesn’t always have to be 100 miles and hour. I’m trying to keep that in mind. I’ve got something new on my whiteboard this week… a reminder to focus on the task at hand, keep myself and my ego in check, and to look forward every once in a while:

Chop wood, carry water. Don’t forget to dream.

Thanks for reading.

Feeling Swell Surf Community

https://feelingswell.org/

https://www.instagram.com/feeling.swell/