I might have Asperger's, but I can still swim. I know of too many kids who are full blown teenagers and still don't know how to swim. When I was growing up, I always seemed to be near water, and I'm not referring to the bathtub! We didn't have a pool, but when summer hit, we were off to the lake. Most of the time was spend at Stockton Lake which is located in the center of Missouri. I have lots of memories from my time down there. We used to have a unique boat. My dad called it a squirt boat, but I think it went by a different name; basically the boat didn't have a regular propeller, it would suck up water and shoot it out as propulsion. The boat was actually pretty cool. There as one summer when I was a kid and my dad and I were going to go get my brother who was at the lake shore. As my dad and I walked pass a pickup truck a German Shepard jumped out from under the truck and attacked ME! I was bitten in the back of right leg. In all honesty, I don't remember the dog actually biting me, but it scared the crap out of me though! My poor dad had to carry me back to the car as mom had a fist full of the hotel's towels in a panic over the ordeal. My parents took me to the local hospital to get stitched up. Sadly I remember the nurses give me tons of shots in my butt! I felt like a human pincushion! Other than that moment, I just remember years of swimming, fishing and just having fun at the lake.
I haven't been on too many river trips. I've actually been canoeing on two rivers. I was on the Current River with the Boy Scouts and the other was the White River with a church group and...my wife. In the Boy Scouts, I had a great time canoeing down the river; although the rich tradition of having to walk through a really, really cold spring as an initiation was not pleasant. If you're a guy, then when I say the water was really cold, you should know actually what I'm talking about. (I'm not going to elaborate!) I'm very proud to say my dad and I never tipped over one time! As for the other canoe trip several years later, this was when I was teaching in Alton, MO and my family had attended an independent Baptist church in West Plains. Our church, which included several of my wife and I's friends, went on a one day canoe trip. Needless to say, we did tip over once and what amazed me was that Jaimee could not get back into the boat, but I was able to lift Jaimee back into the canoe because I was afraid something was going to happen to her, and then I was able to get in as well. I don't think Jaimee liked the canoe trip very much, but I had a good time. [Footnote: Jaimee is not much of a 'water' person. She likes swimming in a pool, but she's not into the 'natural' water environments!]
In many ways, I believe Jaimee and I would love nothing more than to wake up in the late morning (remember we're night owls!) and walk out of our house and look out on the beautiful Pacific Ocean. My brother and his wife have that privilege, but right now I'm rather far away from the largest ocean on the planet. Jaimee and I have both been to the Atlantic Ocean, but not together (childhood). I will say that the ocean astounds me, how beautiful it can be and how much destruction the ocean can cause as well. I have to admit I really enjoyed walking up and down the boardwalk in San Diego and La Jolla. I honestly believe that I could do that for the rest of my life and enjoy every single day of it! So to everyone in California...I envy you all! If you're thinking this is an OCD thing, I really doubt it because I've been out to California for a few years and it never gets old for me. My parents ultimately did move to a lake oddly enough, but I hope in my future that my wife and I could live by the ocean. Maybe someday.
Song of Inspiration [Check it out on iTunes or Android!]:
Song: "Ocean Floor"
Artist: Audio Adrenaline
Album: Worldwide
Here's Jaimee and I in the front of my mom's old Cobalt boat. This was on Grand Lake.
And...Here is Jaimee and I again, but this time we're on the rocks in La Jolla, CA!