Up A Creek Without A Paddle

Technically, I did have a paddle on the day I’m telling you about. And, I wasn’t quite up a creek.

My Momma and Daddy had decided to take their party boat, the “Digger O’Dell,” out on the lake and had invited several other couples to go along. Though my sister and I were invited, neither of us had any desire to spend the day with a bunch of old coots, so we declined.

My sister got first dibbies on the ski boat, so she took it out with some of her giggly, silly, teenybopper friends. I didn’t want to hang around them, because I was much older and more sophisticated. I opted to spend time alone (with the voices in my head).

Left to my own devices, I decided that I wanted to be out on the water, too. However the only watercraft at my disposal was my Daddy’s old metal fishing boat. It was only a two seater, and my sister and I often took it out into the slough to paddle around. Just that week, Daddy had told me about finding where Paw Paw Creek emptied into Lake Texoma. He said it was a wild and beautiful place, and that the creek would interest me. I decided to go find it.

Down at the boat dock, I discovered that Daddy had put that fishing boat upside down on the dock. “How inconvenient,” I thought. “Why didn’t he leave it in the water? Now, I have to manhandle it!”

[Don't y'all be getting ahead of me, now]

Manhandle that fishing boat I did. I dragged it across the dock, and flipped it into the water. The splash when it hit soaked the dock, the boat and me. But, that felt good on a hot Texas day. I grabbed one of those horrible orange life jackets (which did not in any way coordinate with my red bikini bathing suit) and an oar and hopped into the boat.

I began to paddle for the opposite shoreline, where Daddy had indicated I would find Paw Paw Creek. I was watching the shoreline, intent on reaching my goal. About halfway across the slough, I noticed that I was paddling harder than usual, and the boat didn’t seem to be moving very fast. There wasn’t any wind, but struggle as I might, the boat barely moved.

Then, I looked down at my feet. Water was filling the boat, and it was already past my ankles. I hadn’t even noticed it! I was so intent on reaching my goal, that I hadn’t noticed that my ship was sinking! The boat had been upside down on the dock, because it had a hole in it.

I didn’t even have a can in the boat for bailing water, but I frantically started trying to splash it out with my bare hands. Then, I started rowing again, and of course going nowhere. Have y’all ever tried to bail water and row a boat at the same time? It can’t be done.

Twenty yards from the mouth of Paw Paw Creek, my ship slowly sank, and it was all because I wasn’t paying attention. I tell you what, I caught “old Billy Heck” from my Daddy when he got back. That should have been a life lesson for me. But, I didn’t learn a doggone thing.

You see, lately I’ve been having that “sinking feeling.” I’ve been intent on one goal, and “the water has been rising!” Fortunately, I’ve had family and good friends to help me “bail,” and I probably won’t sink the ship.

Please send good thoughts into the Universe for my father-in-law, who is having a liver resection this Thursday morning. It’s Don’s third bout with cancer. He’s strong, with a positive attitude, so we aren’t too worried, but good thoughts never hurt. Thank you.

Related posts:

1. Smooth Sailing
2. Fishing For An Audience
3. We All Need Another Hero
4. Sailing The Ocean Blue
5. Throwing In The Towel

Tagged as: life lesson, Memories, Storytelling