There was a time not too long ago when the question “How many Beach Boys are there?” was not even in the minds of most men. They had no idea that such a question even existed. In those days, men were satisfied to stay home on the weekends and enjoy the fun in the sun while their loved one enjoyed the cool waters of the ocean. Most beach goers knew that there were a select few who would make it to the big party but how many Beach Boys was still alive?
I remember when my Uncle showed me a picture from the local newspaper: It was a happy scene as two Beach Boys was sitting on the beach kicking sand in the sand. My Uncle told me that I should look closer because it was a photo of two young men who were still alive. He told me how many of the Beach Boys were still alive.
My response to him was a little quizzical: How could he know? Was he saying that some of the boys were dead while others were not? My next question was, so how many of them were still alive? My next thought was surely none and that led me to another question.
The answer is still unknown: I will never find out because without a doubt, how many beach boys are still alive is not known to anyone else other than the people who preserve the information. Some of these boys may have died while swimming at some point. Others are born with physical defects that are the result of being in the water all day long. What remains unknown is how many of these Beach Boys still swim or surf every single day, hoping to find the same amount of fun they did years ago.
How many Beach Boys: is still alive is important to me because of the journey they have made from birth to present. They have shared life experiences that normal people can only dream about. I am very sure that they have put more into their lives than most people will ever realize. Not even death can diminish their memory of that quest for adventure and pleasure that has brought them to the sandy beaches of Southern California over the years.
Each one of them is unique: because of the person they were given life. Their stories will continue to live on in their memories and in the memories of others. How many lives can be led down the sands of memory? How many lives are still living?