I saw maybe a 12-foot python on the road side last night. That was cool. Of course it was when I was coming back from Selong Balenak Beach after dancing around a beach fire with a bunch of local beach shack owners – local Indonesians who have made the beach their way of life. We sang and danced while they drank rice spirits and smoked cigarettes and repeatedly asked me if I wanted some, which for some reason didn’t annoy me. I was invited back the next night for more, and to attend a traditional celebration before they circumcised a few young boys, which I agreed to go to. Crazy. I’m not in support of circumcision in general as a practice but I’m not completely ignorant to the nuances, complexities, and cultural differences that perpetuate it in the world. I only stayed for the dancing and the party, but it gave me some perspective on these types of ceremonies in other countries.
Today I was walking down Tanjung Aan beach considering money and spending. I decided for some reason to forgo the offer from the guys at the beach parking lot less than 1 dollar to drive me to the beach. I didn’t know how far it was, but it appeared to be a ways on google maps. It ended up being a decent walk, but it somehow revealed my cynicism around business, that people are trying to to suck what is “mine” out of me. I see now that they were just providing an actual service, and that it was foolish of me to ignore their business. The beach was a big, long beach, and I didn’t have any idea of the scale of which I was getting into. “Never Try, Never Know” is a common slogan I’ve seen on the beaches, and I think the essence of that slogan is to get people out of their skepticism and fear of being taken advantage of, just opening to the experience. I didn’t know where the surf was, I don’t know how to pick a surf yet, I didn’t know that it was proper low tide, I thought I would be able to get a surf lesson, and I could have, but it didn’t turn out because it didn’t seem to be worth it with the tide.
The beach was so huge that it helped me think: The world is huge, so huge that I couldn’t possibly traverse it all myself and learn first hand every thing that I want to do. I’m aiming very high in my life so I need help, help from others who know the field, know the craft, the art, have the expertise to work guide me and take me to where I want to go and do what I want to do and get what I want to get. The phenomenon is exchanging money for good or services (surf lessons, transport to the beach) The function of this is business transaction to hopefully improve our lives. The essence is synergistically helping others with our skills, talents, resources, and giving. Maybe that isn’t the full picture but it’s where I’m at right now, hopefully more insight will come to me. “You can do anything, but not everything.”