In writing about days which were difficult, I had a quick scan back over things I have written in the last few months and I read over the blog I wrote when the paddle boarding session I was booked to join got cancelled. For the second time. Whilst I was epically frustrated there were a number of reasons that they had to be cancelled and whilst I was being a grumpy goose about them, I also completely understood that, but then somehow completely forgot to write about the day that the paddle boarding session I went to that DIDN'T GET CANCELLED!
One of the biggest differences - okay, scratch that, it was just one of a long list of differences - was that instead of being a class which was teaching paddle board technique at the same time as doing some environmental work (litter picking), it was a social meet up of people who would fit into the middle of a Venn diagram of owns a paddle board and doesn't want to paddle board alone. It was a BYOB in the sense of Bring Your Own Board - though someone did also bring beer and I have to say, I was impressed he stayed on the board, because I couldn't even san alcohol - it was far more local to me and it was organised by a person who wanted to go out on her board rather than a charity organisation. And it happened. And it was great.
I wasn't great, I fell at the first hurdle. And the second. And the third. I'm not sure which hurdle is which but I left home without a towel for the human, though I had brought my changing robe, which is kind of towelling inside, and also a towel for the board, so that once I got it out of the water I could dry it down again. I pumped it up, and I thought the pressure gauge on my pump was broken so just had to do the best I could with it and guess. Here's a tip, never do that. It wasn't pumped enough when I first tried to get onto it in the water, but one of the others helped me and got it to where it needed to be. I nearly fell on my a** because the ramp into the water - which is supposed to be the easier access point - was mossy at the bottom and I didn't expect it, though I managed to turn a stumble into a rather graceful slide and was able to laugh about it as soon as I was in the water, and then I got onto the board okay in the end.
I was really proud of myself for trying to stand up. And falling in. Then getting back up. And then falling back in. And then listening to what some of the more experienced (it's not hard to be more experienced than me at this) people and having another go, standing for long enough for someone to have taken a photo from across the lake, and then... you guessed it... Falling. In. Again.
Despite feeling like a tit for not getting stood up and for not being able to paddle in a straight line and for a few other things, I was blissfully happy, because for one thing it meant I hadn't spent a lot of money on equipment for something I hated, but also because I am a total water baby and despite the fact that there were points I was scared - because I am a water baby with a fear of deep water - I got on with it, and I enjoyed it and I spent time chilling out, and making friends and doing something different and it was completely needed. It made me feel like myself, far more than I have been in a good few months.
I've been again since and still haven't got the knack of pumping the board up properly and I still can't stand up overly well, but falling in isn't scaring me anything like as much, I'm getting good at knowing what I need with me, and also I've been to a couple of places now and I always think seeing different places to do the same thing is good. I'm thinking I need an electric pump and to go back to the shallower lake to give myself the best chance of figuring out the standing up part of it, and then I think I will be flying. Well, paddling.
Anyway, I guess the point of all of this is, I'm not miserable all the time and although some things have gone wrong recently - A LOT of things have gone wrong recently - it's not everything. There have been some really good moments, too. And I also bought Chai a lifejacket so that she can come on the board at some point, and that is something I cannot wait for.
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