Paddle by your refuge.Yeah, I set the alarm and got up early on my day off.
Yep, loaded the boat and drove an hour and a half, one way.
It was all going really well, until I showed up at the registration desk. That's when it hit me. There were about four times as many people as I had expected, and it looked like a three ring circus in the staging area and launch site. I don't do well with crowds, and I started feeling really anxious. I stepped back, and then went for a walk around the park, trying to calm down, and to let the crush at the desk let up a bit.
Big water spooks me as well, and the wind kept building.
Paddling with strangers kinda scares me too.
I know, they are all just excuses, but I freaked out anyway. I kept telling myself, that these are my kinda people, but sometimes it is easier to just hide behind the camera.
At least the pictures turned out well.
No. I didn't go paddle.
5 comments:
Birchbark, that canoe? That's cool!
Yeah, I think it was birch. It was definately wood. Sorry, I didn't get the man's name, but he said that he spent some time in Canada learning how to build it. It sure did stand out against all of the other brightly colored boats.
I know how you feel. Crowds freak me out. Malls, supermarkets, even my own Christmas parties. Big seas have not yet made me as nervous as a crowded room. I spend most of my life on the periphery of humanity. If given my druthers, I'd probably spend even less time out of my comfort zone. But then I'd miss out on some amazing people and this very cool recreation.
Step out of your comfort zone a little at a time. You'll find a few kindred spirits out there that you can trust your life with. Then, maybe you can strike out into bigger waters with this little "comfort zone bubble" you've formed. You won't regret the adventures.
Jim
Richard, I can relate to your natural disregard for the masses. Yet, I would have enjoyed walking along you through the crowd with a confident, leisurely gait.
Be bold, whoop the insolently rude. Enjoy the awkwardness. :)
Jim, Wenley,
Thanks, for the pep talk guys.
Next post will be better, I promise.
Richard
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