Project John
In my life there has been a man who modeled a version of living that I’ve decided to emulate. His name is John. One of the more precious gifts afforded me in life so far has been time in the waves with John. Often just being with a person is what they need. You see, you can’t control the ocean. You need to surrender and participate. It is a type of harmonious playful collaboration between man and nature that demonstrates much more important and eternal principles. It is a zen practice.
The simple act of sharing what he loved and being the man that he is gave me a chance to learn and understand that there are many ways to live life in a fulfilled and passionate way. He always seems to have been able to do what he loves, even when he couldn’t. When life took from him, as it did part of his finger, he seemed to make humor from it.
He is a hero of mine. In seeking to emulate his model of manhood, fatherhood, and loving partnership to his wife, I’ve dedicated my intentions over the last few years to what I call “Project John”. It is, simply, my attempt to take what I’ve learned in observation of a truly great man and apply it to myself with the hope that I might live in the way that he lives.
For John, he has always been exceptionally youthful and energetic. Racing cars, driving boats, sailing, surfing; there seems to be an endless well of capability, energy, and talent that he can draw from. That is true of him because he has never stopped living.
Even watching TV with him feels like an interactive and joyful experience. One of my favorite memories is watching the below show with him when it first came to the states.
When I proposed to my wife, McKenna, I wanted to be on the beaches that I remembered so fondly from childhood. We picked Swamis and we stayed at their nearby home. It felt right.
He sat with me and never seemed bothered to share with my seemingly endlessly curious mind. From showing me how to shave the sides of the plastic wheels on the pinewood derby cars, to teaching me how to read the ocean waves between sets, and playfully teaching me how to handle brake failure on the winding streets where we lived — he never stopped playfully sharing and teaching what he knew.
When times get tough, I think of him. He is a good man. So, to this end, I introduce what I call Project John. My attempt to emulate how he is so I can be who I am – fearlessly and with a presence that magnetizes the memory of that young man inside me back into existence.
I don’t race cars – although I’ve flipped a couple recreational vehicles pushing them past their limits. (Perhaps a metaphor for my own way of being). I write, run, and do my best to play. And through Project John, I hope to more fully embracing living life with playful presence, hope, and gentle kindness.
The feeling I get when my toes touch the water at Del Mar is the feeling I’m chasing. The ocean is my friend. And in no small part it’s because I’m reminded of all the time I got in the waves with my friend John.