THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT IS AN ENTIRELY REAL COMPILATION OF COMMUNICATIONS GATHERED AFTER A RECENT OCCURRENCE AT MY LOCAL BEACH IN SAN FRANCISCO. I HESITATED TO POST THIS, THINKING PERHAPS IT MIGHT BE READ AS ME STROKING MY EGO, SO AS PREAMBLE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS ANYTHING BUT THAT. WHAT I DID IN THE WATER WAS SIMPLY A MATTER OF HUMAN DECENCY AND PROPER TRAINING. MY REASON FOR POSTING THIS SET OF LETTERS IS THAT I FEEL IT DEMONSTRATES SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT LIFE THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO WORDS - SOMETHING THAT JUST IS WHAT IT IS. THE REALITY OF LIFE IS THAT - SOONER OR LATER - WE ARE ALL GOING TO PART WAYS WITH OUR MORTAL SHELLS. KNOWING THIS, THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES – EVERY DAY – IS OF SINGULAR AND UTMOST IMPORTANCE. WHEN WE ARE SURFING, WHEN WE ARE OUT THERE IN THE WATER WITH EACH OTHER, WE ARE A FAMILY, WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS… AND WE MUST PROTECT AND LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER ACCORDINGLY. NOBODY ELSE WILL.
FINALLY, TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THE DECEASED, WHOSE LETTERS FOLLOW, I HOPE THIS COMPILATION WILL STAND AS MY OWN MEMORIAL TO A MAN WHO, THOUGH I NEVER KNEW HIM, I AM SURE WAS A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING. I PUBLISH THIS WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR HIS MEMORY.
SO ANYWAY… HERE GOES…
Nathan,
I just received an email from Steve Hawk, Editor of Swell.com regarding my friend John. I contacted Steve to ascertain the circumstances surrounding John's death, of which I learnt last night here in Australia. He sent me your email, which I have completely devoured, having been starved of information about John.
I'm not sure how much you know about John, but he was a talented, funny, typically gregarious Australian. John was Best Man at my wedding several years ago. His wife Sue was one of our bridesmaids. I note that you were looking at John's wedding band and trying to get your head around how you felt. It's good to know that you had the sensibility to appreciate that this was a human being with a life, not a dead body. I'm glad you were involved, and I'm glad you hung around. John would have liked that.
John loved life and had everything to live for. He has two beautiful boys - Kyle and Brae (around 6 and 8 years old). They are approximately the age of my two daughters.
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