surfing

i'm getting reeeeal sentimental today. i'm reading my journal from cape town. here is an entry about surfing:

20/10/05.
Went surfing today, the waves were weird, they were coming from the shore also so they would crash together and hit you. One time the waves were bigger coming off the shore than going towards the shore so I felt like I was being pulled out to sea. It’s a panicky feeling, helpless!! What would happen?
Also I got caught under a huge wave, was flailing around and felt like I couldn’t find air for a few seconds, also a scary feeling.
As I was surfing I began to make it like a metaphor for finding your way through life. When a big wave is coming, you either take it, paddle as fast as you can, and enjoy the ride…you might fall off along the way but at least you tried. Otherwise, you try to go through the breaking wave with your board, away from shore, to not lose the distance out to sea that you had gotten already, all while looking ahead to see if any other good ones are coming that you might take. A second’s hesitation or not paying attention and you can be thrown under the breaker, swept around and caught up for breath. But if this happens, you most likely will be able to find your way to air again, attached by the ankle to the huge buoy bobbing around and friends around to help you out.
Also, the current is pulling you in one direction, while you may want to head down the shore in the other direction, and when the breaker hits you hard, you inevitable lose your footing in the sand and move down the other direction, away from your intended goal.
You can also just lay on your board in the direction of the shore and wait for the waves to come to you. This sometimes works but you feel like you’re not doing much…and the ride is never as good as when you paddle hard.
Today, the waves were crashing against each other from both angles, and there were currents from every direction it felt like, from all sides.
Could this be exactly what life is like? Some people struggle to find their footing while others have mastered the challenge and treat the wave as their playground?