Life is like…..Paddling a Kayak

My loving and lovely wife arranged for me an intro kayaking class this past weekend.

The group class is offered by Next Adventures, in SE Portland.  We met Sunday morning by the Sellwood Bridge.  Spent a few minutes on the grass, going over a few pointers, then headed out into the Willamette River.

This is peaceful, quiet water.  Barely a breeze, overcast, and early enough on a Sunday morning that there was no speed boat traffic. 

If you’ve ever seen kayakers on smooth water, it looks incredibly easy.  And I’m sure, with experience and practice, it is easy. 

But it was a struggle.  I’d work to go straight, and would end up heading to the left.  In trying to get back right, I’d overcorrect. 

Back and forth.  Then, I’d stop forcefully, re-orient down river, and then do it all over again.

The two instructors in the group offered several suggestions, one of them even going so far as to say that my boat often has the same issue with novices. 

But, per the suggestions, adjusted the stroke (foot to hip), reached out a bit farther, and things improved.  Not completely, but improved.

How Like Life, Then??

1. Most things are usually more difficult than they originally appear.
2. Sure, you caaan figure it all out yourself, but having someone who knows and can help, that’s better.
3. If you find yourself fighting to and fro so much that you can’t get forward, you’re doing something wrong.
4. Sure, you can stop paddling, but you’ll have no control of where you end up.
5. There’s no harm is stopping, re-orienting, and beginning again.
6. IF you’re spending so much time working so hard, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a river, passing by Bald Eagle sanctuaries, with no way to enjoy it.

So What??

Fighting debt, losing weight, becoming a better father, a better husband, greening our household, becoming more involved civically.

There is no sure path.  And there is no easy way to to progress in so many direction.

Look for the fun. Take your time. Ask for guidance. Accept suggestions.

And be prepared for the pain.  My shoulders have been knotted up for days.