Out of all of this week's readings, I found the "Granny and Doc" column the most interesting. It followed the friendship and lives of John Heath "Doc" Ball and LeRoy "Granny" Grannis, but with more of a focus on Doc. Although they were ten years apart in age, the two men maintained a close bond through surfing. The column went on to tell how Doc was went on to become one of the first and most recognized photographers of surfing. Doc went on to create a male-only surfing club called PVSC. In 1943 both men volunteered for military service; Doc became a dentist for the Naval Hospital Corps in the Coast Guard and Granny joined the Army Air Corps. In my opinion, the most poignant part of the column was when Lockwood described Doc and his life after he came home from the war. He had PTSD in a time when no one knew about or understood it, and struggled with psychological trauma. What stood out to me was how he "found solace on the beach" and in the ocean. I thought that those things would surely help Doc (and other surfer-turned-soldiers) heal psychologically. However, the lines, "Hanging out on the beach with old surfing buddies offered only temporary solace. It was always fun, but nobody was 'the same,' and several of the old gang were dealing with similar issues," made me realize that the beach, surfing, and company of old friends were not enough for the men to overcome the memories of what they experienced during the war. It thought that it was bittersweet for Doc to realize that, in the end, the best thing for him to get out of his downward spiral was to leave behind his surf/ocean lifestyle and become more spiritual.
Lastly, this is a brief article my roommate sent me; I thought some people would find it interesting: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2458552/Incredible-moment-death-defying-surfer-jumps-cliff-join-competition-turning-late.html
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