Who Knew River Rats Could Rhyme
Working at Dave Hansen Whitewater I’m constantly surprised by my river buds. Not only can they navigate a boat like nobody’s business, but they’ve got all sorts of hidden tricks up their sleeve. Arne can speak Mandarin. Jon is fluent in Spanish. Jason can cook the best meat you’ll ever eat. Deuce is a tri-athalon competitor who also speaks Portuguese. (As I’m writing this I didn’t realize we had such a language savy crew.) Anyway, add to this the guitar and harmonica playing and there is never a dull moment around these parts.
Last night was exceptionally fun. I went to a random night of poetry here in Jackson, Wyoming and two of our guides… T-Bone and YT (also known as Bryson to our guests) recited some poems from memory about rivers. Personal favorite was a quote from A River Runs Through It.
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
I got to thinking about my own experience on the river. Call it an additiction, a need, a way to feel connected to something more than myself, but I am haunted by waters. There is nothing like a current, or a big wave, or seeing the pelicans skim the water on a scenic trip that calms my mind of all its anxious little thoughts.
So here’s to another summer of being haunted by waters. I’m excited to meet all of you people out there who feel the same way. Raft On
-Em
