Summer Games

When I was a kid, I remember lots of games my friend Justing and I used to play in the summer. One of our favorites was MacGyver - based on the TV show of the same name. Mostly we would run around the house and backyards and come up with impossible situations to get ourselves into, and then devise ridiculous ways to get out of said situation based on whatever we saw lying around - pine cones, grass, pens, legos, paper, whatever.

We also used to bike to the pool several times a week. I remember when I finally learned how to swim. It felt so good - although I'm not a strong swimmer, I still love being in or on the water. Justin and I went on a scout canoeing trip when we were a little older. Although we were both very enthusiastic, neither of us had very much experience at manuvering a canoe on the creek. We should have rethought things when we headed straight for a fallen tree as soon as we hit the water, but we quickly recovered and charged forward. But we soon fell behind the group (about 12 canoes in all) although our friend George and his dad hung back with us.

As it grew darker we hit another tree that had fallen across part of the creek. It was like a big magnet that pulled us straight towards it. We were quickly pinned underneath it and trying to get ourselves unstuck. George's dad rammed us trying to knock us free, but only succeeded in wedging us further underneath the trunk. By then night had fallen and we were stranded with only one canoe between us. The rest of the group had reached camp by then and were starting to get worried about us (especially my dad who was with them).

We left our unnecessary gear on the bank, and loaded up our canoe with the essential stuff, said a prayer, and headed downstream in the dark. I was lucky enough to be in the middle of the boat, and we sat very low in the water--the lip of the boat was an inch above the river. It felt like an eternity as we made it downstream, but eventually we saw some lanterns and flashlights of the rest of camp and made it safely ashore. Needless to say, Justin and I were split up the next day. In the daylight, some of the others were able to make it back upstream to save the canoe and our gear we left.

Since then, I have managed to become a better canoer (canoeist?). Now I feel in the mood to go!