DIFFICULT TIME

A REALLY HARD JUMP
I took my son on my first trip to Costa Rica. One of the highlights of that trip was rafting down the Sarapiqui River. After navigating several class II and III rapids, we stopped at a shallow pull out point where we all climbed a small cliff. The point of this was to jump off the cliff into the river, then float while the current carried us back to the rafts.

Most any kid would relish this fun exercise, and before you could blink your eye he’d be gone and in the water. I was 65 at the time and am an old WSI who taught swimming and lifesaving for many years. The whole idea went against my whole being, of what I believed, and what I’d taught my children and many others over a lot of years.

I really had a hard time jumping off. I hesitated for some time while my son jumped twice and kept encouraging me to do the same. I had my glasses on under my helmet, and eventually I held my glasses and jumped. The water was rather cool, and once in the water it was easy to float in the gentle current.

My camera captured my son in mid air during one of his half-dozen jumps, but I called it good after my first and last jump. Something about old habits dying hard I guess!