Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, March 27, 1998
Out Of The Water
March 27, 1998 11:08:42 P
I was sitting on the beach one day, and I was having a good time, the sun was hot, but, hey, I had an umbrella to give me shade. Life was good.
But then I looked out onto the water. I saw many people, all kinds of people, and they looked like they were having fun.
“You don’t want to go in there,” my Grandfather said as he saw my wistful gaze. “It’s cold and it can kill you”.
My schoolteacher came up and shook her finger at me. “Don’t even think about it. You show such promise; the water will ruin whatever chance you have of making it in life”.
Many other people came and simply gave me an accusatory stare. “Don’t worry,” I assured them. “I know what the water can do”. But I wondered, what was the water really like?
Then I looked a little at the people in the water. I saw some of my best friends out there. They noticed me too.
“Come on in!” they called to me. “The water’s great! Don’t listen to those people, they just don’t know how to have fun”.
“Well, I don’t know,” I answered. “The water looks really cold. I don’t think it would be that much fun.”
“You’re nothing but a coward,” they jeered at me. “If you’re too scared to do a simple thing like step into the water, we don’t want you as our friend”. That settled it. Dangerous as it was, I decided to step into the water. I didn’t want to lose those friends, and who said I had to go all the way in? I could just check it out, and if I didn’t like it at least I’d know
So I stepped in. The icy coldness took my breath away for a second, but soon I got used to it. It wasn’t so bad after awhile and I wanted more, needed more. It gave me a thrill. I was finally doing what I wanted for a change. It wasn’t long before I plunged all the way in.
For awhile I had fun. I swam and splashed in the water. Those old people on the beach just didn’t know what they were talking about. Something so much fun just couldn’t be bad. It was then that I began to realize just how far from shore I was. I could barely touch the sandy bottom without my head going completely under.
I was cold now too. At first the water had made me numb, but by now that had worn off, and I was chilled to the bone. I tried buying a wetsuit, and a life jacket, but they made no difference. I was still in the water.
Desperately I tried to reach shore, but the currants kept pulling me back. I just about despaired, until a boat came along beside me, and some friends of mine pulled me out. I hadn’t been out of the water for two seconds when, when I began to shiver so violently, I readily flung myself into the water again. The water was bad but it seemed land was worse, and I hadn’t even made it all the way!
The water wasn’t so bad the second time in. Sure my lips had turned blue from cold, but I just had to learn to live with it. There was no way out. It seemed a no win situation. I thought of drowning myself, but even as those thoughts crossed my mind, I knew I never could.
For the first time since entering the water, I looked seriously at the people on the beach. They were the ones having fun. I saw them having barbecues, picnics, and parties, and I could never join in, all because I was in the water. I wanted out so badly, but I was scared to try again. This time, I knew what would happen if I did, and I didn’t want to go through that again.
Suddenly a fleeting memory of the past came to me. When I’d first heard it, I’d passed it off as a fairytale, but now- it was all I had left to cling to. I cried out for help and looked to see a hand reaching out to me, and a kind face smiling at me.
“Come to me” He said. “I can take you out.”
“But it’ll be cold,” I protested. “I’ve tried before and I know it will be”.
“That’s a chance you’ll have to take. You must decide how badly you want to get out. All things are possible with me,” He answered. “I’ll wait for you, until you are ready”.
One look into his eyes, and I knew He would never hurt me. With His help, I could get out, and be warm and dry forever. “Alright”, I said as I grasped His strong hand, “I’m ready.”
I was sitting on the beach one day, and I was having a good time, the sun was hot, but, hey, I had an umbrella to give me shade. Life was good.
But then I looked out onto the water. I saw many people, all kinds of people, and they looked like they were having fun.
“You don’t want to go in there,” my Grandfather said as he saw my wistful gaze. “It’s cold and it can kill you”.
My schoolteacher came up and shook her finger at me. “Don’t even think about it. You show such promise; the water will ruin whatever chance you have of making it in life”.
Many other people came and simply gave me an accusatory stare. “Don’t worry,” I assured them. “I know what the water can do”. But I wondered, what was the water really like?
Then I looked a little at the people in the water. I saw some of my best friends out there. They noticed me too.
“Come on in!” they called to me. “The water’s great! Don’t listen to those people, they just don’t know how to have fun”.
“Well, I don’t know,” I answered. “The water looks really cold. I don’t think it would be that much fun.”
“You’re nothing but a coward,” they jeered at me. “If you’re too scared to do a simple thing like step into the water, we don’t want you as our friend”. That settled it. Dangerous as it was, I decided to step into the water. I didn’t want to lose those friends, and who said I had to go all the way in? I could just check it out, and if I didn’t like it at least I’d know
So I stepped in. The icy coldness took my breath away for a second, but soon I got used to it. It wasn’t so bad after awhile and I wanted more, needed more. It gave me a thrill. I was finally doing what I wanted for a change. It wasn’t long before I plunged all the way in.
For awhile I had fun. I swam and splashed in the water. Those old people on the beach just didn’t know what they were talking about. Something so much fun just couldn’t be bad. It was then that I began to realize just how far from shore I was. I could barely touch the sandy bottom without my head going completely under.
I was cold now too. At first the water had made me numb, but by now that had worn off, and I was chilled to the bone. I tried buying a wetsuit, and a life jacket, but they made no difference. I was still in the water.
Desperately I tried to reach shore, but the currants kept pulling me back. I just about despaired, until a boat came along beside me, and some friends of mine pulled me out. I hadn’t been out of the water for two seconds when, when I began to shiver so violently, I readily flung myself into the water again. The water was bad but it seemed land was worse, and I hadn’t even made it all the way!
The water wasn’t so bad the second time in. Sure my lips had turned blue from cold, but I just had to learn to live with it. There was no way out. It seemed a no win situation. I thought of drowning myself, but even as those thoughts crossed my mind, I knew I never could.
For the first time since entering the water, I looked seriously at the people on the beach. They were the ones having fun. I saw them having barbecues, picnics, and parties, and I could never join in, all because I was in the water. I wanted out so badly, but I was scared to try again. This time, I knew what would happen if I did, and I didn’t want to go through that again.
Suddenly a fleeting memory of the past came to me. When I’d first heard it, I’d passed it off as a fairytale, but now- it was all I had left to cling to. I cried out for help and looked to see a hand reaching out to me, and a kind face smiling at me.
“Come to me” He said. “I can take you out.”
“But it’ll be cold,” I protested. “I’ve tried before and I know it will be”.
“That’s a chance you’ll have to take. You must decide how badly you want to get out. All things are possible with me,” He answered. “I’ll wait for you, until you are ready”.
One look into his eyes, and I knew He would never hurt me. With His help, I could get out, and be warm and dry forever. “Alright”, I said as I grasped His strong hand, “I’m ready.”
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