EL Monologue

This is it. It’s my turn to go. I can’t believe I’m actually about to do this. This should be good.

With my billabong shorts on and the incredibly cute captain helping me secure my lifejacket, I slip my feet into the slippers on the board, skadoodle my way out onto the back of the boat and hop on into the water.  I front stroke my way onto the side of the boat where a huge black bar is attached. The captain (and also the instructor) tells me to grab the bar and lift myself up. I knew I should’ve joined a gym earlier dammit. After a few tries, I get myself up there. He tells me to squat, lift the board (with my feet attached) so that it levels up with about the lower half of my stomach or so, and as the boat begins to move, slowly shift the lower half of my body to the right with the board sort of pointing up.

“Think you can do it?” -Captain

“Yeah! No problem”-Me (as I’m trying to go over the steps in my head thinking this is about to be an epic fail)

The boat begins to move. My best friend who had occumpanied me on this trip, Brigette, yells out: “You got this! Don’t worry!”

Yeah, right.

Within the first five seconds nonetheless, I manage to shift but the force of the water and my inaccuracy fails. I let go of the bar and reside floating in the water. The boat turns around and yet again, I have to push myself up to grab hold of the bar. Understand that when your feet are attached to a wakeboard as well, it is not so easy pushing oneself up when they can’t move their feet. We try again. Fail. Again. Fail. Again. Fail. Again. Fail but unfortunately this time I sort of wadded off and swallowed a lot of lake water. The boat comes back around. Super annoyed at myself, I grab hold of the bar as the captain comes over to the side and tells me I’m not balanced enough, that because I’m a rightie, when I shift the board, I need to put 60% on the back (my right foot) and 40% on the front (my left foot) to keep balance. I look at him and actually try calculating how much 60% I actually put into my foot, not grasping the idea that all he was trying to say was put more pressure on the right, back foot than on the left, front foot. Simple concept but of course I made it difficult. We try again. And wouldn’t you believe it!….I failed. I grab hold of the bar and as I am putting myself into position, I hear my dad screaming, “Cmon Erica. Listen to the man. Cmon you can do it. Stand up already!” P.oed as anything else that this wasn’t working and knowing this was my last try before the hour was up, I was determined to make this work.

The boat began to go. Slowly, I shifted my body and wouldn’t you know it? I managed to balance it out and ride. Holy moly! I was literally wakeboarding. As the captain cranked the speed just a bit, I remember the light of the sun sort of beaming on the side of the boat as he turned as if even God was proud of me. This was amazing.

Wakeboarding, for me, was one of my greatest accomplishments because I managed to go outside of my safety net and try something new. Life, I realized, has so much to offer and so many great experiences that few really take the chance to do. This was one of the reasons I am who I am today. I learned to take a risk and ask questions later. Do something and make memories and importantly, have fun while doing it.

<—Wahoo!