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Waful House - FATHER AND SUN
by Jeff Waful - waful@unclesammy.comIt was one of those unexpected things that life tends to offer. In the midst of my hectic life, emerged one magical moment. On a boat with my dad, I took a much-needed deep breath of fresh Cape Cod air. With all of the stress and chaos of city life just over the horizon, I smiled. The forecast for the day was not good. Dark clouds and a strong on-shore breeze had my dad and I second-guessing our planned journey around Pleasant Bay. At the last minute, we decided to venture out into the ocean for a little father-son bonding and risk the bad weather.
It's funny. I lived on the Cape my whole life until I went off to college and now it all looks different. It looks more beautiful. The air smells fresher. The foliage is more vibrant. The crickets sound more harmonious at night and the overall vibe of the place seems warmer. It's only about 90 miles from the hustle and bustle of my new home in Boston, but it seems like another world. I used to take it for granted. In high school, I'd drive by the ocean every day. On the way to first period, I would watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. If there was a swell, I might even catch a few waves before going to class. It was no big deal though because it was normal to me. It was all I had ever known. Now that I've lived in a city for 6 years, going home to the Cape is like a dream.
As my dad and I were puttering along in our modest little motor boat, I felt more at ease than I had in a long time. My life in Boston has become so fast-paced that I've run out of time to do things that don't directly relate to my career. Cruising along in that tiny Boston Whaler, I was finally off duty. I kept reaching my hand into the water and rubbing it all over my face and through my hair so the salt from the ocean would seep into my pores. The temperature was a bit on the cool side, but I still only needed a T-shirt. After all, this was a welcome change after the recent sweltering heat and humidity. We skipped along the surface of the water until we found a nice area to stop and throw the anchor. Over a bag of organic chips and some humus, we chatted about variety of things. The discussion found its way to music, as it usually does. It was during our leisurely discussion that I realized how lucky I have been. Sure, there is a lot of stress involved and not a lot of money. But, you know what? I'm living my dream. I'm in the music biz. I need to stop and think about that from time to time. My whole summer has consisted of booking and promoting a band and working on a festival. In my spare time, I go to concerts. Even if I have a bad day, it still beats sitting behind a desk and wearing a tie. My dad told me that he was proud of me and happy that I'm doing what I love. I guess I always knew that my parents were proud of me in an unconditional kind of way, but hearing the words really meant a lot to me.
The conversation went on for more than an hour. When we turned around to head back to shore, the skies had cleared. The sun was now low in the sky, surrounded by only blue. The breeze had died down and the water was calm. Since the weather had not been ideal for most of the day, we seemed to be the only people out in the water. It was eerie. On a normal summer day, there are hundreds of boats zipping around. As we picked up speed, I had a very powerful moment. The sun was glistening off the water in such a way that the ocean was no longer blue. The entire surface was a reflection of the sun. It was like one gargantuan sheet of glass. As we sped along, our boat cut through that glass, creating a wake of blue seawater that seemed to shatter the surface. The contrast was incredible. It was as if we were heading directly into the sun in some apocalyptic film.
For that one afternoon, I put the world on hold. It's good to do that sometimes. As I'm packing up all of my things and preparing to head out for one of the craziest weekends of my life at Berkfest, I will carry that one relaxing moment with me. Let the music play on and the insanity begin....
Jeff Waful is a Jambands.com columnist and a staffing coordinator for The Berkshire Mountian Music Festival.
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