"LIQUID SUNSHINE!!!"

No pictures for this post, unfortunately... and, it has nothing whatsoever to do with surfing, horticulture, landscaping at all. More to do with the spirituality of coping with less than ideal life conditions, helpful for everyone at times hopefully.

​I was talking with a friend the other day about the crappy weather and he said "effin LIQUID SUNSHINE!" He did not use my more polite F-word alternative, he was full bore mad.

I asked him what 'Liquid Sunshine' was, never heard that phrase before. He proceeded to tell me where he was exposed to the brighter philosophical side of shitty rainy weather.

JAMAICA.

He had paid an "Arm and a Leg" (pun intended) for the pleasure of golfing at an awesome golf course while on vacation and it started to rain like hell. He animatedly told me what he started swearing at the clouds, the words that he had used and the level of emotions behind his swearing.

The caddy who was schlepping two bags around without a cart was Jamaican with a thick island accent and had lost one of his arms somehow. My friend never got around to finding out how, thinking it's impolite to ask. Anyway, the dude overcame his handicap and still managed to schlepp for the tourists with an amicable attitude and friendly smile.

When this one-armed caddy saw my friend (let's call him Dave (his name really is Dave)) going ballistic with veins in his neck about to pop swearing at the clouds for what was an everyday Jamaican weather event, he said "Ya, Maaan, What Yuu soo maaad abouuut?"

"I paid an arm and a leg to golf at this #*!^ing GD beautiful place and it's F***ing raining like a *#&#^@%!!!" That's what I'm so mad about!

The caddy calmly and cooly said to "Dave" "Yo Maaan, That's not Rain, that's Liquid Sunshine! It visits every day here, maan, good for you, good luck for those it falls on!"

That phrase stuck with Dave, and now when rain conjures up swearing emotions, he remembers the unnamed one armed cool golf caddy from Jamaica and calms down to some degree.

That caddy also noticed Dave's young friend getting mad at not being able to golf well so he took the club and told the young guy without really looking much at the ball how to stand, swing, follow through. He hit the ball while talking to the guy and as soon as he hit it he looked at the dude and kept talking as the ball rolled onto the green. That memory stuck with Dave, and the cool attitude that the caddy had was an impressive feat for one who has a reason to be walking through life with a grudge but doesn’t, to teach people who have everything going for themselves yet had big grudges for pretty minor life conditions.

​It's interesting what we can learn from those who we would never think have anything to offer us other than carrying our shit for us.

I have always felt that the quality of a man is determined not by his accomplishments in life but by the way he handles life when shitty things happen. The highest quality men rise to the occasion with an even temper whilst the poorest quality men slump into poor behavior. I find it a constant challenge for myself and usually fail the sniff test.

Collie Buddz sings a song that could have been written by the caddy.

A song about keeping one’s chin up during hard times, easier said than done sometimes, especially when an arm is lost or your child dies in a car accident. When people move on and survive, it’s a tribute to their inner strength, and an inspiration for the rest of us.