PAUL

Growing up in country New South Wales I clearly remember at age 11 watching a surfing safari documentary on black and white ABC TV. I mentioned to my dad (who had grown up on the coast) how much fun surfing looked. It must have hit a nerve because within 12 months dad had packed up the family and moved us all to Queenscliff on the Northern Beaches of Sydney where I still live today.

Surfing became my life and every spare minute of daylight was spent in the ocean. I believe it’s the greatest medication ever. Fitness was the bonus. Young, fit, tanned and free with not a care in the world except when the next perfect wave would arrive and what was for dinner! It was a great time in my life and a great time to be young.

As time passed my commitments and responsibilities shifted. I met my beautiful wife and we married and had three great kids in the 80’s. I worked long days, my wife worked nights to give the kids similar opportunities that we were given. Surfing took a back seat to work as the needs of the young family took priority, and the dad bod crept in. Today that time feels like it was a blink of an eye ago but here I am now, a proud grandfather of six of the absolute best and I wouldn’t change one day, even the hardest days, because in reflection they are what taught me the most. 

I definitely look back on my life with extreme gratitude. I’m older and wiser and realise it’s the little things that have the biggest impact on our happiness such as family, friends and familiar places and faces. Health is definitely your wealth. I won’t ever take these things for granted.

I’ve recently found MINT and it’s safe to say I’m a changed man. One happy boy. Out with the old (literally in the bin) replaced with new and comfy MINT trunks in every colour. I may not be physically the same these days but I’m just as comfortable today within myself as I was as that young surfer. Probably more so in the scheme of things. I still swim in that ocean most days all year round. It’s my soul food.

These days I’m totally content and happy and my only small concern is to check I’ve actually put my MINT on! It’s not an age thing either, it’s because they are so bloody soft and comfortable on the skin, I forget that I’ve got them on.

The older I get the more I know that no one gets a perfect life but every day I count my blessings and I know that every day is a gift.