Dinner Story
Posted on 20 February 2019
Surf Stories, like fish stories, can be hard to believe at times and can sometimes get pretty stinky. There is quite often a one-ups-man-ship that can lend itself to further exaggeration. This story is really my son's story, and while I may not have complete accuracy, the body of the tale should be close.
My son Larry, who stayed in California after graduating from USC, was getting serious with his new girlfriend, so he was invited to her parents' house to meet them for dinner. He was nervous about the meeting wanting to make a good impression.
After introductions and pleasantries, they move to the dinner table. Sometime during their conversation, her father says, “So, I hear you are a surfer”, (this was said in a pleasant and respectful way, which was never my experience when meeting parents).
"Yes, my father had us at the beach every summer and introduced us to surfing when we were growing up”.
“You know I’m a surfer, I grew up in Leucadia and surfed all the time. My 9'-6" Takayama is upstairs in our bedroom,” he says, as his wife raises her eyebrows at the exposer. “In fact, one day I surfed with Mike Doyle. I didn’t really know him, but he also lived in Leucadia back then and one day when I was out he paddled out and surfed with us", he beamed.
My son replies, very matter of factly, “Yeah, my dad is probably having dinner with him now.”
After dinner, my now daughter-in-law says to Larry, “How could you make up that BS story about your dad when you know that my father was being very proud of the fact that he got to surf with his hero?”
My son defensively replies, "Its all true, honest. My dad and Mike are friends. He is staying down with Mike in Cabo right now, and they were probably having dinner.”
"Yeah right.”
My son and his bride-to-be retell the story the next time we see them, both with equal bits of laughter and anger in their telling.
“Exactly when was that dinner?” They give me the date. I think a minute and tell them both, “Yeah, not only was I with Mike, but Joey and Yana were also staying at the house then and that particular night Garth Murphy had us over to his house for dinner.”
They both reply simultaneously, "Yeah right.”
Mike, I don’t think you’ll ever know how many people you’ve touched and inspired. It’s a privilege to call you a friend.
Love you both,
Larry & Elaine Castruita
