Okay, yes, I am competitive. There is a true story that I was running a 10K with a colleague (one who does Ironman Triathlons, and double marathons) in Boston, MA and with about 200 meters to go (about 200 yards for US readers), I point to a building behind us and asked what is that building. Well, being a semi-local, he looks back and stares and asks which exact building, in the meantime, I have started run full out so I can get to the "finishing line" before he does. Needless to say, I "won" but not because I was faster, because he was laughing too hard to catch up . . . Yes, I like to win if playing casually . . . sorry, there is just something inside that makes me that way, and I can not stop it.
Well, it did come to a sort of stopping.
Vacationing in Bar Harbor, Maine (for one of my favourite commenters to a blog, yes, that is in the USA), I had to swallow my competitor nature. By the way, if you get a chance, it is a nice spot in the world (from someone who has traveled around the globe). Here is the scenario: My wife, two sons, and I went for a sunset cruise tour on kayaks. Now, I have kayaked many times before and enjoy kayaking on the lakes/rivers in and around Austin, Texas. While I have kayaked on the sea before it is different than lake or river kayaking. Anyway, we have two two-seater sea kayaks and I have my youngest son with me (thinking that we would not be paddling too much). Well, we were the best team, the tour guide would point to where he wanted us to go and by golly we were the first there! The tour guide kept asking our kayak to slow down, but it was not easy to because of the slight wind and current, but we did our best. Then we were finishing our tour and saw our ending point, and the tour guide said "go for it", well, we started and then realized my wife and son #1 were way behind. So what does a good husband/father do, finish in first place or return and make sure they are doing okay? Yes, I turn our kayak around and go back to see if all's okay. (The son in my boat who happens to be a little competitive and disagreed with my strategy). So, we go back and then somehow we get stuck on some rocks, and then we are behind everyone, as we get off the rocks, we are facing the wrong direction and the wind picks up and makes it very difficult to turn this ship (as we drift out to Nova Scotia). So, I am paddling as hard as I can (my son was too tired to paddle any more). The tour guide notices us struggling (since think he was not too happy with us that we were going so fast to begin with), and he comes back to us and proceeds to tie a rope from his one person kayak to ours . . . oh my, how embarrassing, I thought about arguing and challenging the guide a race to the finish line, and instead swallowed my pride (it was his responsibility to get us back safe and sound), so we paddle in together to the wonderful smiles and laughter of all the other kayakers who had already finished the tour.
The lesson that I learned . . . Nice Guys Finish Last! So, if I happen to be running with you or playing some game and you fall or get injuried, forget about it, I am continuing!!!! Oh, not really, but sounded good!
4 comments:
I agree with your assessment of Bar Harbor - LOVE it - even if it is Maine. :)
"about 200 yards for US readers" and "favourite" - Just because you spent some time in Geneva does not make you an international diplomat. Remember, you spent all those years in Louisville and Austin where shoes and shirts are optional.
Yours truly,
One of your FAVORITE commentators to a blog
LOL . . . Geneva living changed my life for the better . . . but yes, I am still a US citizen with a small part became European! Thanks for the comments!
But did Amy appreciate your return to check on them?
Judy and I were kayaking off an island in Belize (gulf coast south of Mexico)and might have been a 1/2 mile out from the island (the island was about 8 miles off the coast). The tide started out and it took us an hour plus to get back. I finally decided to cut across the current to another nearby island. We then walked the coast of that island to get back to where we started. (I was really worried about missing that island.) We didn't kayak any more after that.
Primary lesson (you can't out paddle the tide). Secondary lesson, it's not really advisable to kayak with your wife unless it will be an easy trip.
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