Although the regulars have grown accustomed to the winds and ways of Diamond Head, on a good day it has been described as paddling to the left with a garden hose turned on full right in your face. That sounds about right though. The surf, however, is not the story today. It was the people … always the people it seems. The usual small talk that occurs at the shower line is meant to pass time by as well as get to know strangers a bit more, as well all pass through the baptismal cleansing of the PVC pipes at the base of the path.

Today, something had resonance, something a complete stranger said to me. “Now I can face the rest of the day!” she said cheerfully as she exited the shower line and headed up the cement pathway. It bears repeating: NOW – after surfing that morning, and rinsing herself off – I can face the rest of the day. In a way, we all have a ritual that we follow every morning that prepares us to face the world out there … hers, much like so many surfers that I know, was surfing. Soaking in the ocean and riding the waves.

In the office environment, you can often hear people muttering that they cannot function until their first cup of coffee … it’s a similar ritual. Although diametrically opposed (one being a natural high and the other chemically induced externally), the two rituals allow us to gear up and prepare ourselves to face what is very well an unknown agenda. It may be surfing for some, coffee for others, and for some it takes the form of ritual “amulets” or “charms”. Although not an experience, some people use physical objects to prepare themselves for whatever lies ahead in their day. From necklaces, watches, PDAs, laptops, and other devices, we as a people have developed our own form of attachments to modern-day versions of amulets.

The form that the amulets have taken may have changed over the years, but it is by no means a new practice. Shamans and Kahunas have prepared for their daily battles with the unknown using symbols, trinkets, amulets, and some even physical rituals as a blessing or curse. And the use of such rituals has become so entwined in their cultures that they have become sacred. Despite the western influences a good part of the many native religions have remained intact. Most rituals are still carried out, and have been protected, often by associating them with traditional visual arts and traditional music. Before I learned to surf, I had other rituals that allowed me to face the day.

When I was a young child, I often required two “amulets” that prepared me for the daily challenges of a six year old: my plastic toy gun fashioned after Vic Morrow’s rifle in “Combat”, and a big red cape that symbolized superheroes of every archetype. You can say that it was mostly Superman that I emulated, but he didn’t carry ammunition like I did. I recall having these two items with me most times … even while at school, I remember having them close by, often hidden within the my six -year-old-mind’s ideal belief in the Fort Knox safety of my backpack. And so it was a rite of passage when I needed these object no more, forgotten with the onset of interest in other things … much older, newer things.

As a young teen, full of angst and apprehension, the rituals became that of appearance. For most of us at that age, we associated our identity with the way we looked, the way we dressed, and the people we spent most of our time with. I don’t have to look very far to point out iconic representations of this point in modern-day films, but you can try yourself. (Might I point out the grand-daddy of them all, The Breakfast Club?) And as we gained our own identities, interests, and confidence in our personalities and abilities … well, we grew up for the most parts! As adults you probably can name your own preparatory rituals, your amulets of enchantment, and your defense against the daily demons in the daily world. I have a few of them myself, one being writing down whatever thoughts I have in this blog.

Which of course brings us back to “Now I can face the rest of the day!” For whatever it is truly worth … I hope you faced your day armed with little more than a toy rifle and a red cape …

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