“God Only Knows” what would have become of me if I hadn’t discovered the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

In my early teens I was an awkward and lonely kid who spent many hours “In My Room,” trying to figure a path forward where I could be myself, trying to find that nexus between the explorer/adventurer and the scientist I wanted to be. As I’ve mentioned before, the music we listen to at a young age can have profound effects on who we become later in life, and it was the complex harmonies and beach adoring lyricism of The Beach Boys that encouraged me to climb aboard a fiberglass cloth wrapped piece of styrofoam and try my hardest to “Catch a Wave.”

By then, I’d already been doing a fair bit of skin diving, exploring the undersea world in all its mystery and fearsome beauty. But while that introduced me to the underside of the ocean, it was “Surfin’” that taught me about the ocean’s surface, and the waves and tides that hide the fish, dolphins, turtles and all manner of other aquatic critters from most people’s view. Getting to the beach was a challenge for most of my time as a young surfer. I had no “Little Deuce Coupe” or “Little Honda” to motor on down to the shore with, so it was leg power via bicycles and short cuts across busy polluted waterways if I wanted to get to the beach. And while many of my high school peers were having “Fun Fun Fun” riding around town in their T-Birds, Cameros, and Trans Ams, I was out on the water, finding joy in the ways of the waves and becoming the best surfer I could be.

Similar to how I imagine things might be for a kid growing up as a shredder in Summit County when a powder day lands during the school week, I found it hard to “Be True to My School” when I heard the words “Surf’s Up“. There was no phrase more likely to get my blood pumping and me figuring out the best way to get our local southern Florida surf spot, “No Trespassing,” before the surf died down.

A couple of my brothers and several of my surfing peers would go on to surf in exotic locations around the world and across our country. My “Surfing Safaris” however consisted mostly of trips “up coast” to various southeastern Florida surf hotspots like “Sebastian Inlet” and “New Smyrna” and “Daytona Beaches.” And while I could hear “California Calling,” a gnarly surf session at “Blacks Beach” in 10-foot waves finally convinced me that a life of surfing big swells probably wasn’t in the cards for me.

I never did find a “Surfer Girl” of my own back then though always in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think that “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” to find a girl who would love me for who I was and with whom I could settle down. I did eventually find a lass who would become my wife and with whom I have shared four decades of my life. She wasn’t one of those “California Girls” that so many of my surfing brethren dreamed of though, but rather a product of the Midwest from the land of cheese. And while she doesn’t like swimming, let alone braving the swells on an unruly sea, she’s always given me “Good Vibrations” and given the chance with my “Funky Pretty,” I’d “Do it Again.”

Brian Wilson will be missed, certainly by this fan. As with many geniuses, his wasn’t an easy life as he struggled to balance the commercial success that his musical brilliance engendered with the freedom to explore the depths of his artistry. Those personal challenges led to issues with depression and drug abuse that he eventually was able to overcome. And after conquering those challenges he was able to reawaken the musical muse within himself and go on to produce more great music that makes me “Smile,” even if those efforts weren’t as commercially successful as his earlier work.

So, to Brian, I hope that wherever you are now, you’re enjoying the “Warmth of the Sun.” “Sail On Sailor” and say “Hi” to Jimmy for me!

Tony Jones' column "Everything in Moderation" publishes biweekly on Thursdays in the Summit Daily News. Jones is a veteran of the IT industry and has worked in the public and private sectors. He lives part-time in Summit County and Denver. Contact him at eimsummit@gmail.com.