Each Monday, I would like to share a reminder about the importance of being mindful. These will come from literature, popular culture, music--anywhere one might get this sort of everyday life nudge.
When Danny and I first started dating, his YouTube and Wikipedia knowledge astonished me. He knew random facts, fun trivia, and all of the funniest music and videos on the internet. We laughed constantly.
One of his favorite videos, today's Mindful Monday reminder, was among the first in my introduction to YouTube entertainment. The clip, a Fox News interview at Huntington Beach, CA, of a passionate (and cute) surfer, became a hit on the internet. The surfer, when asked what it's like to catch a wave, attempts to describe his sport.
Because, however, of his passion, intensity, and enthusiasm, his words are mixed with hand gestures, sound effects, and non-words. Though some people might assume he is a beach bum, simply perpetuating negative stereotypes of surfers, as many YouTube comments suggest, I feel he demonstrates exactly what mindfulness is about. He may not be entirely articulate in a conventional sense, but when you see him talk about surfing, you get what he's saying.
Though I have never surfed before, I have felt the relaxation, rejuvenation, and refocusing of mindfulness as a result of activity, as discussed in the Olympic Mindfulness & Motorcycle Riding post. First with yoga, then motorcycling and hiking, I have begun to recognize how powerful it is to live in the moment and fully experience your experiences.
Have you ever been so consumed with a task at hand that you lost track of time? Forgot to eat? Didn't realize that other people left the spaces around you? If so, you also likely understand the beautiful and simple power of mindfulness. This surfer, Micah Peasley, has experienced just that and he is attempting to put into words something that is extremely difficult to articulate and convey.
Tosh.0, a program about [making fun of] internet videos, featured the clip and conducted a "web redemption." The show brought Micah in to discuss his interview and redeem himself on television. As this episode came out about the time of The Kings Speech, the two parodied the film in Micah's preparation for his second presentation of the original interview.
Please note: the following clip contains vulgar language and references.
Tosh.0 "Web Redemption: Surfer Interview Fail--Uncensored"
Have a mindful Monday! Get pitted, so pitted.Labels: Mindful Mondays
