After reading the definition of a "rip tide" I wonder if subconsciously Condon wasn't in some ways struggling with his newfound need to settle down. As Dictionary.com describes it, "a stretch of turbulent water in the sea, caused by the meeting of currents or abrupt changes in depth", could be interpreted as a conflict between the paths that two (or more) of his inner drives have been taking (e.g. fame vs. creativity). This collision of forces then may have left him feeling helpless to choose either one, resulting in the somewhat calming sense of letting the flow take him where it may.
After reading the definition of a "rip tide" I wonder if subconsciously Condon wasn't in some ways struggling with his newfound need to settle down. As Dictionary.com describes it, "a stretch of turbulent water in the sea, caused by the meeting of currents or abrupt changes in depth", could be interpreted as a conflict between the paths that two (or more) of his inner drives have been taking (e.g. fame vs. creativity). This collision of forces then may have left him feeling helpless to choose either one, resulting in the somewhat calming sense of letting the flow take him where it may.