I am Tom Long and this is my story. A characteristic of Hawaiian culture which I like is a love of “talkin’ story.” I’ve been living in North Carolina for many years now. Here in the continental southeast we call it “shooting the breeze.” On this blog, Long Story Short, I get to spout my ideas into cyberspace and see if anything comes back to me. Sadly the comments, intended for me to hear your side of the story had to be disabled because of spammers. But I would love to get your feedback on Twitter (@tom4surfing) or Instagram (@tom4surfing). I have broad interests so it is hard to pin down what this blog is about. I’ve been fussing around with gadgets since building a Heathkit walkie-talkie in grade school. So, I talk a lot about the latest gadgets that have caught my fancy. I can’t really join in the Microsoft or Android versus Apple wars because I love them all (and the apps that make them so useful).
You may notice that my handle on many internet sites is “tom4surfing”. After years of surfing a Local Motion longboard shaped by Ricky Carroll during his Hawaii years, I finally put that baby out to pasture. Will Allison, a local North Carolina surfer and shaper provided me with a monster board. I try to get her wet at least once a month – including winter. My favorite places to surf are in Hawaii and it is pretty hard both time and money-wise to get back there from North Carolina. But I also like surfing the net and channel surfing.
I’m proud of my own anglo culture, but believe that one of life’s most enriching endeavors is to span the gap and find the common ground with other cultures. Can we ever be our own person, if we are limited by our culture of origin? My life would seem so colorless if I had not grown up around and come to know Hawaiians, Japanese, Afro-Americans, Hispanics, Europeans, and others. I have freely borrowed from the wealth of many cultures.
I think of myself first as a writer (The Juice of Life, anyone?) and second as an environmental scientist. My hobbies range from tech to making music and pictures, to surfing, snorkeling, and travel.
I used to be into politics but the polarized, mean-spirited, name-calling of American politics is breaking my heart. We are a state sadly in need not just of one, but of teams of states(wo)men to inspire us to the greatness of which we are capable when we pull together.
I never intentionally dodge talking about my faith in Christ, but that isn’t the purpose of this blog. I have another website oriented toward expressing my faith, Step Out.
I have a point of view and I state it here. If you don’t agree, why don’t you share that with me on Twitter or Instagram? If you agree strongly with something. Please let me know that as well. C’mon, let’s talk story.
