Newminimalists tend to "swim beyond the flags".
One of my earliest memories is running down the hill from our home to Australia's famous Bondi Beach. I was around 5 years old and I recall the fun of the joy of it all as we ran towards the beach with those incessant waves tumbling in. Because it was always early morning the beach was still and devoid of the crowds that would roll in later in the day. Depending on the prevailing winds the surf was either stirred up and raging or a steady flow of white tops curling over as they rolled in to meet the sand.
Ringing in my ears was my mother's plead "remember to swim between the flags". The idea was that if we [myself and my three siblings] were swimming between the flags put out by the surf patrol then we were safe. We were safe because the Surf Lifesaving Clubs of Australia were posted on beaches to provide a safety net should we ever get into trouble in ether a calm or a pounding surf. I believe that this became the cultural mantra for generation upon generation of Australians. Swim between the flags and you will be safe because someone else is there to be responsible for your health and well being.
As I got older I would deliberately swim outside the flags because that was where the surf was not "crowded out" by the people who had no clue about the first principles of water safety. They bumped into each other because there was no room to move. They swam over each other because they were uncoordinated in the water. They hit each other in the head with dangerous projectiles because they could control their bogie boards. Meanwhile those who ventures out beyond the flags found plenty of room to move. Out there the lessons of the surf were constantly being reinforced. Indeed by repeatedly swimming "out there" I learnt what an "undertow" was and how to deal with it. Also I got plenty of practice when dealing with a "rip" that took me out to sea and beyond where I felt safe. I learnt to go with these currents until I could navigate my own way back to the beach. I always got back to the beach even though I was a little shaken and breathless when the warm sands were again beneath my jelly-like legs.
Over my life I have seen this mantra take hold inside Western Culture. People live their lives "between the flags". And yet accidents still happen. In response to an increasing number of incidents the folks who are responsible "for keeping us safe" have begun to demand more and more control over our lives [the global response to the 2020 Coranavirus pandemic is the perfect illustration of this syndrome]. In a sense we are all being forced to "swim between the flags" on a strip of the beach that is rapidly shrinking. Sure there are a few brave souls who still defy the "rules of the beach" and who take their chances as they explore the surf in areas beyond the flags. But. Increasingly these folks are spotted by the "lifeguards of our times". They are immediately "cancelled" and banned from the beach.
Richard
Newminimalism is a state of mind which is a Group Think Free Zone. Those who curate their own unique version of this state of mindfulness are often seen exploring the undertows and the rips of life and thus they are skilled at coping with adversity and challenge. For more about how you can become a Newminimalist go to minimal-you.com
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