Jef Malett’s BlogPostsFrazz 15 hrs · It’s funny how, even in a book that’s wonderful through and through, sometimes the parts that stick with you seem almost accidental, as if the author put it in there without fully understanding what he’d done. Or maybe the author knew his point would be made without excess hype, or any hype at all. Or some of us just latch onto different things in different ways.
I recently read William Finnegan’s excellent memoir, “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life,” and buried deep in the section on the portion of his life spent on Ocean Beach in San Francisco — a reliably glorious but brutally hard and dangerous, not to mention bitter cold and uncomfortable, break — he lets slip that the standard Go phrase when inserting himself into that beautiful mayhem was a wry, “well, let’s get this over with.”
God, did that resonate with me. So many of the best moments of my life evolved from a process that started with, if not those exact words, most definitely that sentiment. And now, as I continue to come up against trouble, pain and discomfort in search of whatever of those moments I have left, I do use those exact words.
Maybe the difficulty of voting doesn’t compare with surfing double overheads in 50-degree water any more than surfing compares with the importance of voting. But both can be hard enough and important enough to warrant a “let’s get this over with.”
Bottom line is, you gotta surf or you’re not a surfer. And you gotta vote or you’re not a citizen.
Bilan about 4 years ago
If the orange guy loses, we’ll celebrate the day after.
rekam Premium Member about 4 years ago
Uncle Saddleburr?
seismic-2 Premium Member about 4 years ago
Is the school a voting place for the precinct? If so, is school in session all around the lines of voters?
danketaz Premium Member about 4 years ago
Ah for the good old days, when the worst possible outcome was having to push a peanut down the street with your nose.
Kind&Kinder about 4 years ago
Even the kids are aware enough to worry!
Ceeg22 Premium Member about 4 years ago
Hey, look, A Michigan fan!
dnie1951 about 4 years ago
the Uncle who’s always got a ‘burr’ up his………………
cervelo about 4 years ago
Hey look! It’s future President Biden at the extreme left of the first frame keeping an eye on things.
Jaymi Cee Premium Member about 4 years ago
That’s a child. All his celebrations are mostly stress free.
atajayhawk about 4 years ago
Love it! What a great name: fully describes the situation and person in one word. Go, Jef!
Jhony-Yermo about 4 years ago
Unka Saddleburr. HAR, good on Jef! The one everyone is sad to see at the family hootenannies?
paul GROSS Premium Member about 4 years ago
The dumb commercials telling you to vote like your life depended on it might have something to do with it.
Thinkingblade about 4 years ago
This is the first election in my lifetime where I felt a need to prepare for the possibility of a riot on my street.
sandpiper about 4 years ago
Few families don’t include an Uncle Saddleburr. Makes life more interesting.
dougsathome about 4 years ago
Hopefully this time we’ll have something to celebrate after the election.
Stephen Gilberg about 4 years ago
Because people may like a sense of control but not responsibility. They’re more at ease when they don’t have to do something.
raybarb44 about 4 years ago
Should be….
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 4 years ago
Jef Malett’s BlogPostsFrazz 15 hrs · It’s funny how, even in a book that’s wonderful through and through, sometimes the parts that stick with you seem almost accidental, as if the author put it in there without fully understanding what he’d done. Or maybe the author knew his point would be made without excess hype, or any hype at all. Or some of us just latch onto different things in different ways.
I recently read William Finnegan’s excellent memoir, “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life,” and buried deep in the section on the portion of his life spent on Ocean Beach in San Francisco — a reliably glorious but brutally hard and dangerous, not to mention bitter cold and uncomfortable, break — he lets slip that the standard Go phrase when inserting himself into that beautiful mayhem was a wry, “well, let’s get this over with.”
God, did that resonate with me. So many of the best moments of my life evolved from a process that started with, if not those exact words, most definitely that sentiment. And now, as I continue to come up against trouble, pain and discomfort in search of whatever of those moments I have left, I do use those exact words.
Maybe the difficulty of voting doesn’t compare with surfing double overheads in 50-degree water any more than surfing compares with the importance of voting. But both can be hard enough and important enough to warrant a “let’s get this over with.”
Bottom line is, you gotta surf or you’re not a surfer. And you gotta vote or you’re not a citizen.