Going with the Flow…

I have learned from the river that there are no guarantees. Even the most seasoned veteran can flip. A flip can be devastating to one’s confidence as well as one’s physical body.   While getting bashed by rocks and gear, spitting water and sucking for air, one faces one’s mortality.  My brother once told me, “It’s is not about having confidence in your skills that will get you through, it’s through the experience that will make you wiser”.

The river has many temperaments.  There are the smooth sections that invoke care-free drifting; where the water glides effortlessly downstream.  Then there are sections of the river where chaos resides; when the water passes over and through an obstacle and a mighty rapid is formed.   As a river captain, I have a theory about successfully maneuvering through a rapid.

25% is entry, 25% is skill, 25% is the river’s will, and 25% is luck.

Eugene Bucannan in Maytag hole June 2011

There is a 50/50 chance of making in through a rapid unscathed.  With these odds, for thrill seekers, it is the most terrifying and exhilarating experience to address these roaring monsters.

With the water flow fluctuating between extremes, the river is never the same adventure.  Sometimes it is the anticipation of what is to come that shakes the nerve to the core.  Ignorance is bliss for the unassuming rookie.  Some stop and scout a rapid, tentatively plotting a course of action, where plan B may apply. Others read and run the river.  Either way, there is a state of mind one must achieve to face what is downstream. There is a” Zen moment” where the mind becomes a blank slate and one melts into the flow, leaving one’s destiny up to fate.

The speed of the river accelerates faster than the heart pounding in the chest, the roar becomes more deafening than a freight train, drenching frothy water consumes the raft from every direction, and time slows down.  For some it is a wild ride while facing the depths of one’s character whether in or out of the boat. For other’s it is a life altering experience. By taking the dare and risking possible injury, the rush for the adrenaline junkie is matched by none

The power of the river demands both humility and respect. Mother Nature has a tendency to level the over-zealous heart.  From the river I have learned many lessons I relate to life.  Above all else, relax into the flow!

Staying Afloat Daily Om