I didn’t really see Vince until 5 pm on Saturday afternoon because he came in late on Friday night (he came into my bedroom to give him a hug) and on Saturday morning, I went kayaking, so I gave him a kiss on his sleepy head and headed to the Potomac for my lesson. This time I managed to bring my phone and take three photos of my “rapid”. Can you see it there? It’s like 6 inches tall and probably could have been traversed more easily on an inner tube.
I had such a nice time on Saturday. I love being out on the water, it’s a good mix of meeting people and being on your own. (I met the CEO of our local food bank – I had wanted to volunteer for the call center earlier this year, but everyone seemed to be volunteering from home, but he insisted that I try again, because it’s changing to more in person.) Physically, it’s a mix of endurance, strength and flexibility. While I do have aspects of the required physicality, I’m quite bad at putting them together to kayak well. There are people who are quite good (the best person, I found out is an experience canoeist) and just understand their body well. There are people who are beginners and kind of tentative and careful and focus well and execute well. And then there is me, I want to try many times, because I don’t have a boat or very many opportunities to try with an instructor right there – so I tried many times and I “fell” many times. I learned to rescue myself and I learned how to have other people how to rescue me. Kayaking is very much like skiing or snowboarding with the leaning or catching an edge. There is reading the water and deciding on a line – the canoeist was the best one because he’s read the water the longest and was trying (along with the instructor) to teach me – look at the water – do you see the V? go to the top of the V? I saw nothing except flowing water. Then there was the instruction – do you see that big rock over there? There were many rocks, you know, over there.
Of course, the instructor, Nate, who I like very much, said the thing that is true about everything – you are a good athlete, you are just thinking too much and not relaxing. Relax. Work with the current, not against it. To which I was like – this is the story of my life. Work with the current, not against it. Relax into it.
“To which I was like – this is the story of my life. Work with the current, not against it. Relax into it.”
I so understand this mentality and I fight it all the time. You do not. You really do just go with the flow of things. You are a person who knows how to pivot and adapt and adjust. Those are just remarkable qualities. A friend who helped me learn how to do the backstroke told me “let your head be your rudder. Let your head be your guide, and your path will be straight.” HA!! Much easier said than done. You do it so much better than anyone else I’ve ever known. I am so proud of you, Doris, for all the attempts you make in your life. The various things you do in your life, these endeavors from kayaking, running marathons, raising Vincent and Edda, nursing school while you have children at home and a totally different full-time job. Fixing your own toilets for goodness sakes! Through all of these endeavor’s, you remain an incredibly kind person through. So many people could learn how to live a good life and important in contributing life just by watching you. I think you are a remarkable woman. You make the world such a better place.