We all have PEAK moments in life – hitting that last second jumper, making the big sale, getting engaged/married, landing that first job, quitting your day job to pursue your dream, a first kiss, etc.  These high moments in life are, more often than not, moments shared with many people, gossiped amongst friends, and celebrated in a public fashion.

But what I’m curious about is a peak moment of yours that was private and perhaps no one ever knew about.  What was that peak moment in your life?  That peak moment that no one knows about that you hold dear, that upon your last few breaths of life, you’ll look back with a smile and deep, meaningful satisfaction?  I’ll share with you mine…

I saved a guy from drowning to death once.  I was in Hawaii body surfing in Makapuu Beach.  Makapuu is known as one of the best body surfing locales in the world, with a long, rolling wave that doesn’t break for a great distance.  The catch, however, is that one has to swim out quite a ways from shore to ride these waves.  On that day, I was right on the edge of “the shark pit” about 150 yards off shore, bobbing up and down in the ocean, waiting to catch a nice roller to glide me back to the beach.  There were only 2 or 3 people out that far with me on that sunny, idyllic day.  Then, all of a sudden, I heard a faint and stuttered cry for help.  It was hard to hear b/c of the roar of the crashing waves and the loud billowing of the Hawaiian winds but I knew I heard something desperate.  So I kicked up as hard as I could with my legs to take a quick look around.  And there, about 50 feet to my right, was wrists and hands slashing and flailing sea water.  There was no head.  It was a person in the last, exhausted moments of drowning, ready to go under.  His head (more like his nose, lips, and one eyeball) peeked out one last time from the sea surface and I heard him gulp water, trying to eek out a cry for help.  And then, nothing…  Read more...