[Stylist] writing prompt

[Jackie]

Annie,

I agree with Vegas about the ending, that is, that your dad didn't encourage
you to try again, and help you to gain more confidence. Perhaps there should
have been more communication.

This brought back many memories for me. My brother- in-law taught me in a
fresh water lake in Idaho.  Then I had the experience of water-skiing on
Jackson Lake in Wyoming. The shore was full of rocks, and the water ice
cold.  The next experience was off the coast of Kenya in the Indian Ocean.
My husband, three young boys and I stopped at a cove where they were renting
boats and gear, and before going through there museum, we decided to water
ski, and have my 8 year-old son try it. I got up first, after explaining how
and what I was doing, and managed to do a complete big circle of the cove
without falling. Jeff tried again and again and just could not manage to get
up.

Afterwards, we toured the museum and found that there were barracuda along
with other dangerous fish in the cove. I shudder to think of our parenting
skills, and lack of knowledge before doing that.

I fully understand your fear of the unknown deep. It should not be one's
first experience.

And yes, it does hurt if you ski at 35 miles per hour and fall, and I found
it impossible to transfer to use just one ski, as most graduate to if they
continue with the sport.. The most important factor to me was the boatman,
and knowing he would idle the engine when he got anywhere near me!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Jacqueline Williams

 

Clarity is just questioning having eaten its fill.

     Jenny Xie

 

From: Stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ann
Chiappetta via Stylist
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2019 5:23 PM
To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List' <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: anniecms64 at gmail.com
Subject: [Stylist] writing prompt

 

Cue the   Da-Dum, Da-Dum .

 

By Ann Chiappetta

 

 

Spending the summer on Long Island sound is one of my favorite childhood
memories.  My Dad bought a boat after the divorce and I spent the first year
learning how not to be motion sick. I was eleven and spent each weekend with
Dad trolling for bluefish, bottom fishing for flounder, or diving into the
cool Atlantic water when it got hot.   

 

One weekend afternoon my cousins were with us to go water skiing. Dad had to
be convinced because he didn't want to use all his gas for something so
frivolous. My cousins actually coughed up the gas money and after filling up
at the fuel dock, we rode out of the harbor proper finding open water. It
was the summer that the movie Jaws had been released and terrified
generations of movie-goers, including me. 

 

When it was my turn to dive in and get help from my cousin to help buckle on
the skis, and grab the tow handle, I didn't have time to feel afraid. My
adrenaline was making my hands shake and I was grinning like a fool.  

The boat drifted off, my Dad straightening the tow line, then he gave me the
thumbs up, and       I heard the throttle rise and the boat roared into
life, I felt the powerful jerk on my hands and arms but I did what Dad
instructed, kept my arms bent, my   toes pointed up knees bent, leaning away
from the pull. I was up and skimming the water, then I hit a dip in the
water and my skis flew into the air and when I landed back in the water,
they both flew off my feet.  I'd let go of the handle as soon as I felt the
fall coming and floated in the water thanks to the safety flotation belt.
The boat wasn't far off, already circling around to get me. In that moment
of floating I   thought of the movie and I began to scan the surface of the
water, trying to look down past my feet but the water was a murky green. I
began to panic, closing my eyes and trying not to cry.  I watched the boat
come closer, then   gratefully swam to the ladder when Dad put it into
neutral. 

 

"Want to try again?" asked my cousin. 

I shook my head and unbuckled the flotation belt.  After bobbing in the
water, helpless and possibly   being mistaken for a meal, I was happy to
only try water skiing again in a freshwater lake.

 

 

 

Author

` Making meaningful connections with others through writing `

www.annchiappetta.com <http://www.annchiappetta.com/>  or
www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta/ <http://www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta/>  

Blog: www.thought-wheel.com <http://www.thought-wheel.com/> 

Facebook Annie Chiappetta

 

 

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