Golden moments recalled
AA MILNE — FORGOTTEN
” ... What has become of John Boy? Nothing at all
He played with his skipping rope
He played with his ball
He ran after butterflies, blue ones and red He did 100 happy things
And then went to bed”
Actually John Boy has done right fine. He put together a top EIA company and is now easing into a three-day working week so that he can surf and travel more. He says if he had his life to live again he might not work so hard next time round but considering his current trajectory, he looks pretty fine to me.
I bumped into John at the quaintly named Kakgat beach in Jongensfontein and we had a good laugh and a couple of waves together. We worked out that we possibly last saw each other some 39 years and 11 months ago.
John Crowther and I were at Rhodes University at the same time many full moons ago and we competed in the RU surfing team at the South African Universities Championships.
John studied geography and geology and I did a BCom but the common thread was surfing, Port Alfred, beer, getting qualified and having a good time. Added to the good time was the fact that we knew we had a good surfing team and that our SAU prospects were good.
With the acumen and administration smarts of future Dr (CA) Alan Carter, future lawyer/advocate Gary Gravett, Leonard Tebbutt, Sandra Raper and well assisted by a dynamic RU sports union, we trounced the more fancied UCT, University of Natal and UPE. We were thrilled to be SA champions and there was more than a little raising of the wrist to celebrate. I am not sure that sponsorship of the event by Mainstay and Western Cape Cooler was a good idea though. It is a wonder that nobody died.
After near four decades it was a huge joy to bump into John.
Among other things he has swum the English Channel (living in Llandudno and surfing frigid waters prepared him well for the channel — no wetsuit!), played SA club water polo, competed at SA lifesaving and is with the EIA to our own current Wild Coast road and bridges.
John is in good health and great humour. Beach and surfing is our original connection though, and this is one of the beauties of sport.
Be it water polo, hockey, rugby, tennis, archery, swimming, cycling, running, fishing, cricket or whatever, I do not mind, but this is part of the reason I have encouraged my children in sport.
Stories, memories, moments, travel and friendships made here may just last a lifetime.
It is a beautiful quote from Nadine Stair “.. Oh I have had my moments, and if I had to do it all over again, I’d have more of them..”
In the words of author AA Milne, if you can do 100 happy things and then go to bed, your life is in a pretty good place. With a beach and a surfboard you can possibly find 90/100 things to do. I love this game. John Crowther, it was great to see you again!
Today, Saturday, the surfing prospects do not look great. South wind can be good to our farmers and bring in some rain, but waves fall apart in this wind. This is a good wind for bass fishing or taking a run to get fit for the Discovery Surfers Challenge.
Sunday morning is the pretty one. A light west wind is on an eight-second period swell of 1.6m with a pushing neap tide that tops out at 11.22am. This looks like a good day to catch a morning wave at Chintsa East and then a burger for lunch at Barefoot Cafe and then go to bed.