Dear Rory: “Do you get bored on Kauai?”

No matter how far you run you can never escape yourself… 

Dear Rory,

Do you get bored on Kauai?

Short and Sweet Pete

Dear Rory says: Right to the point, I like that!

Do I get bored?  That’s a great question. I mean, I’m living the dream, right? Got no boss riding my ass. Totally my own man. Surrounded by adventure and amusement and able to run off to play at the drop of a hat. My every day satisfies me creatively. I’ve lucked into a career path which may never be financially rewarding, but means I most likely won’t look back at the end and think, “Well shit, I wasted that life.”

How could I be bored?

What sort of cynical asshole would I need to be in order to totally forget how awesome my life is?

Why would I fail to appreciate all the opportunities at my fingertips?

Hawaii seems to get a few weeks straight of solid rain each year. Makes sense, that’s why shit’s so green. But you’re pretty much trapped in doors and everything turns into an ankle deep mud pit. That can feel boring.

Sure, we live in the 21^st century and there’s a kajillion forms of amusement ready for instant consumption at all times and not all of it is pornographic. But you get a touch of cabin fever and want out bad. The dog’s whining to go piss but won’t actually step into the rain. You and the wife are trying to think of something, anything to do that doesn’t involve getting soaking wet and covered in red muck. But options are limited. The price of living in the middle of the Pacific.

The other 340-ish days…  what do you want to do?

Spearfish? Surf? Hike? Drugs? Hump?

They’re there, a short drive away at most. The ocean is a never ending source of adventure. When the water is always warm and the sun is usually shining you’ve always got something to do. Even if it’s just drinking a beer clifftop and watching how the water moves over the reef.

But the thing about getting what you want, once you’ve got it, what next?

Because as fast as life passes when you’re looking backward, it sure as hell seems to move forward at a snail’s pace. And you just can’t always remember to appreciate what you’ve got while you’ve got it.  Real human failing right there. I know I’m not the only one.

My life could not be better. I have everything I’ve always wanted.

So, yeah, I get bored. I shouldn’t. But it would be the same no matter where I lived.

Because I’m human and I’m flawed and because no matter how far you run you can never escape yourself.