As my family and friends know I am a reluctant thrill seeker. Deep down I am a coward but I love adventures so I find myself time after time ignoring my fears and jumping into a new adventure with my petticoat a flying behind me. Later I look back and wonder why I was so afraid.
This is the situation I found myself in when Darrell, my sister Mary, her husband Robert, my brother Jim, his wife Shorty and I traveled to Ocoee Tennessee to go whitewater rafting. Darrell had gone whitewater rafting several times and as is his habit told me over and over again "You're going to love it!"
Yeah right! I can't swim and I have a fear of drowning. That's why I can't swim. I have been known to panic in water over four feet deep. It's not a pretty picture. But not one to miss out on any new experience, I agreed.
My A.D.D. was going nuts the whole long seven hour drive to the beautiful Smokies. I'm sure Darrell wondered why I was so quiet on the trip there but actually I was babbling only it was an internal conversation he could not hear. "What is there to be afraid of? Your family and Darrell love you. They wouldn't let you drown. I can do this. I can't do this. Yes you can. No I can't. Who do I think I'm fooling?"
Darrell and my family members were excited the morning we were to raft down the Ocoee River and insisted we get to the bus early. We sat for a half hour for our guide to arrive. Everyone was busy chattering with excitement while my A.D.D. continued it's internal babbling. Once I walked away from the group unable to handle their glee and enthusiasm while I was so worried.
Finally we were on the bus heading up the river for our all day raft trip down the turbulent waters of the Ocoee. Upon our arrival at the head water the six of us and the guide carried our rubber raft to the edge of the river all the while our guide explaining all the do's and don'ts. This weakling was not much help carrying the raft; convincing me further that this was not for me. Still I jumped in when told to do so and off we went for yet another adventure.
It wasn't long before we came upon our first rapid, a number 3 in difficulty. Wow, it wasn't bad at all and yes, it was fun. We continued down the river crashing into big boulders and hurdling through one rapid after another number 3 and 4 in difficulties. Before I knew it I was laughing and enjoying every second of this heart pounding ride.
We stopped half way down the river for a light lunch and potty break. Finally I was my old talkative self. I could now laugh at my fears and rejoice in overcoming them.
The Ocoee River had been the home of the 1992 Olympic kayaking teams and even though I was in a raft rather than a tiny kayak, I had gone down the river safely. The Olympic teams went over some type 5 rapids. The guide explained that they had in years past. However last year a guide had died while maneuvering through a type 5 rapid. They no longer traversed through the deadly rapids. That sounded like a good idea to me.
So how do I feel about whitewater rafting now? This has got to be the most fun adventure I have ever been on. If I lived closer I know I would spend every weekend possible there in a raft fighting my way through the rocks and crannies of the Ocoee River.
