Friday, July 13, 2007

The pleasure cruise


A hypothetical question:
If one were to go wakeboarding with those she loved on a very fine summer day, would it be more dangerous to
a) cruise gently back and forth and back and forth-never falling. OR
b) try to jump, do tricks, etc.- wiping out most of the time.

If you chose option B, you're wrong. Yesterday I went out wakeboarding with my dad, brother, and friends, and it was a very fine summer day. and I took what my brothers have affectionally dubbed "the pleasure cruise" (a long- 30+ minute ride where I attempt no tricks and just enjoy floating over the water. I don't like to do tricks, and I don't want to waste the time of starting and stopping). I admit, I'm boring. Hypnotic, even, perhaps. But I'd always assumed that those in the boat would stay awake, or at least that the flag person (person who holds up a flag when there's a fallen person in the water so said fallen person won't be eaten up and dismembered by passing propellers) would. But alas, assumptions always tend to bite me in the arse.

I let go because I wanted to re-adjust my gloves, and while adjusting my natty and busted old gloves down in the water waiting for the boat to return I realized that it wasn't. It just kept going and going and going. My dad estimated that it went for about a mile. As I fruitlessly screamed and scanned the horizon for boats, I had some time to think.

Pleasure cruises are dangerous. Not just the kind of pleasure cruise where you're strapped to an Air Nautique, enjoying a pretty view and the only ones around are the occasional big belly up gray fish, but the metaphorical life kind of pleasure cruise. (spending your summer off on the couch watching Food Network and savoring really good chocolate. Barefoot Contessa just ended) They are delightful on occasion, and I am a big fan of floating right on over life just looking at the pretty stuff, but if they go on too long, you could end up like one of those belly up fish floating in the water hoping that someone from the big boat will remember you before another boat comes and turns you into buoyant road kill. It's like in all the numerous investing books I've read (as I tend to like to understand what makes the men I'm dating tick and I've dated more than my fair share of men whose internal clocks seem to be fueled by CNBC)- not investing is far more risky than, well, taking risks. Hmmmm...(I still am yet to actively invest any of my savings sitting stagnant in an account somewhere)......

That's about as far as I got- it was the usual carpe diem epiphany that comes when you realize that there's a chance that death or dismemberment is a real close possibility. I used to feel it all the time in high school whenever I stepped in Amy's car. Then, the boat came back and I was fine- the only fallout a twinge of guilt as I sit here in my pj's at 10 am.

4 comments:

Pyrate said...

you're lucky that my grandfather wasn't driving. When he gets bored he lowers the propeller and drives in circles, thus taking you over his own tsunami sized wake. He's only satisfied if we hit the water hard enough to cause a nosebleed. There are no pleasure cruises.

Salt H2O said...

Con: People don't tend to like to watch others that play it safe.

Pro: You won't break your neck trying to pull a backflip either.

TUG said...

The great philosopher Jon Bon Jovi once said . . . "You can't win, until you're not afraid to lose."

Other than that . . . I really enjoyed your post and finding this blog.

crazy4danes said...

Lori you're the cutest! This blog reminded me of the good times on Lake Powell. I'm glad to hear you are still enjoying your "pleasure cruises"! ;)