Be The Duck

I took some time last week to head uptacamp (Maine’s version of ‘up to camp’) ahead of my family arriving. Capitalizing on a few hours with no responsibilities, I decided I would take my kayak out and head over to a fishing spot a friend shared with me to find some quiet and hopefully some fish. Lifejacket, fishing rod, worms and beer loaded into the kayak I started to paddle out to the spot which was quite a distance across the lake. Taking a direct route I made good time in the crossing – my Dad always said the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. When I arrived, I put my line in and began to soak in the sun. It was not before long though that the wind picked up and was turning me in all sorts of directions. Unable to maintain my position and getting hit by some not so friendly waves from some awkward angles, I opted to make a move and head towards the shore. I paddled against the wind and took an indirect, somewhat zig-zag course that took more time, but kept me close to shore. I had my sights set on a cove off in the distance, about half way back to camp. Now protected from the wind, I could catch my breath, float and fish (and drink my beer). Accomplishing my goal of grabbing a few perch and taking in the quiet, I headed back to camp.

The direct route is usually the shortest, but at some point along the way something, or someone, is going to blow you off course. That does not mean you must abandon your goal, it just means you need to adjust the way in which you accomplish it. Don’t be so strong-headed to think that your initial plan or idea is the only way to get to where you need to be. Adjusting and reacting to the elements around you is always necessary. Be open-minded to others and trust your own gut. Sometimes it may feel like you are paddling against the wind, that it is taking longer than it should, and that you are constantly adjusting your course along the way, but if you never lose sight of your end goal and keep trying different ways to defeat whatever obstacles are thrown your way, you will ultimately get there – possibly more worn and a bit battered by the elements, but certainly more experienced and with an even greater sense of what you accomplished. A friend once shared with me a quote he found that now serves as my approach to getting to where I want to go: “Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface, but paddle like hell underneath.”