I’m Going Paddling!

Last weekend we were vendors at a Memorial Day show here at our own little Deep Creek Lake. We hadn't done this show before but since it is a tourist hotspot and it was Memorial Day weekend, we figured that it would be a profitable event. I was expecting a huge turnout. Not only that, but I was hoping that our glass would sell like hotcakes.

 Looking back, I'm thinking that the wonderful weather had everyone doing better things, like sitting by the fire or out on the lake fishing or boating or just about anything outside. At least I would see those as better things!

Friday evening seemed dead. Mostly vendors walking around looking at each other's wares and wondering where the crowd was. As we wondered, we patted each other on the back and assured each other that tomorrow would be different with a huge turnout and all of our wares would be selling like hotcakes.

But it wasn't and they didn't. When it came down to counting the pennies at the end of the day, I felt like a bull rider that got knocked off coming out of the gate. If you've ever been to a bull ride and seen someone hit the dirt before his 8 second ride was up, well the announcer usually makes some smart comment about cheering for the poor guy because it's the only payment he'll get and how he'll have to shovel some crap just to pay for his entry fee. We did make enough for our entry fee and a couple cups of coffee, but that was about it. I was feeling really bad for the people that traveled and stayed in hotels and ate out and all of that, because they didn't do any better. 

Making money is what we were there for but then again, money isn't everything, it's just how most of us weigh the value of our time. When I look back at the weekend, I did collect a few nuggets that weren't exactly exchangeable, but maybe inspirational would be a better description.

My favorite was from an older gentleman that stopped by our booth. He was quiet as he looked at our glass, especially the fish, and as he looked, I could tell that he was made for the out of doors and the green Patagonia jacket that he had on was a part of who he really was. His weathered face marked him as some sort of an adventure lover. Maybe a mountaineer, a rock climber, an elk hunter, or maybe canoe paddler? Definitely someone with a life full of stories. I couldn't help myself but to pry a little. 

"How are you doing today?

I like making glass but I really love the outdoors, that's why I make the fish and the antlers. Not only do I like making antlers, but doing our own thing allows us to have a more flexible schedule which lets us get out more."

He responded with, "I know what you mean! I've gone paddling almost every day of my life, and I've had to figure out how to be able to do that. Part of it is spending less and part of it is making money while doing what you love."

He told of being a canoe guide, of taking photos at several Worlds canoeing events, of making a risky move of telling the architectural firm where he was working at, that he would work when he had time. All of those things added up to a lifetime of stories of paddling everywhere from Central America to Canada and everywhere in between. When he mentioned that he had just done an overnight trip on the Cheat River, I was doubly impressed. As I get older, the ground gets harder, and if I can still sleep outside in twenty or so years that will be great!

When he left, he not only left me with the inspiration to get out in my canoe a little more often, but he also gave me an invite to go paddling with him sometime. He didn't buy anything, but yet, the value of him being there was worth more than anything he could have bought.

I was reminded of my earlier years when I worked for John Diller at Savage River Canoes, where I mostly built wooden paddles and helped make canoes. Making a bunch of paddles for some big racing company in Hawaii was neat, but when an old time paddler would come in wanting a custom paddle for a trip that he was preparing for, and he started telling about his adventures, now that was something to be excited about. You knew that your paddle was going to be used on this long trip that he was talking about and it almost made you feel like you were a part of it. The paycheck didn't matter. Those guys always left me with the desire for adventure. It wasn't that they were proud about their trips or that all of their stories were hair raising or anything like that. It was more about their love and passion for what they did. And being a part of it would put a little spark in my pants and I'd get out on the water every chance that I could.

I'm sitting here writing and thinking. It's already June and I haven't been paddling yet. In fact I haven't even looked at my canoe and given it its early spring going over. But I will! This week I'm going to get back out on the water! Baby ducks, fishing poles, the slap of the waves on the bottom of the boat, the rhythmic dip of the paddle, I've almost forgotten!

I hope that someday I can inspire others just like that ole timer did to me! Maybe tell a few stories or just reminisce about trips from the past and give people a glimpse of the things that they're letting slip by in life. Little things like the cool fog on the water hitting your face in the morning while the stroke of the paddle brings warmth to your soul, or better yet, tying off on the edge of the lake and letting the lap of the waves on the side of the canoe lull you into a refreshing nap. 

I could probably write more, but there are only so many minutes in a day. Fourteen hundred and forty to be exact. One thing is certain, I'll use them all. It's time to take the bull by the horns!

I'm going paddling!