Going With the Flow

The Lee Valley White Water Centre allows novices and experts alike to pit their wits against a turbulent water course some succeeding and others…well they didn’t quite manage to stay upright.

We recently spent a lazy sunny Sunday watching others hurtle down these rapids in awe of the kayaks who turned on a point as graceful as any ballet dancer. Then there were those who came down in the inflatable rafts instructions being bellowed ….. left to paddle forward, right to paddle back, lean left, drop down……..It was exhausting just watching them.

When they all worked together it flowed, the rafts negotiated the rapids which such ease, it didn’t matter that they were buffeted about, they were succeeding and more importantly not falling out!

Then there was this one boat, eight young men all yeehawing and com’on and yeah bruv we gotit innit. They were all furiously paddling individually, some forward some back, some not at all and then they hit the first set of rapids and two flew out.

Nothing more than their egos bruised and all credit to them got back in ready to hit the next two rapids……..where three fell out! They all disappeared from view and my husband & I commented on how the lack of coordination and working as a team had let them down.

Now credit where credit is due a short time later they were back…..Now a boat of seven! There was a little more coordination until they hit the bumpy rapids. Again even though some were working against each other they made it through and there was much jubilation and a forgetfulness as the rapids will always win if you stop watching them. BAM next set of rapids and four were unceremoniously dumped into the water to be rescued by the bank staff and then there were three.   

We sat by the banks watching others master the rapids and show skills which are transferable to life. Teams working together will succeed, it may be as bumpy and as hair raising as those rapids appeared to me but knowing where you are going and how you are hopefully going to get there makes you stronger as a team.

It is when you paddle against the team and don’t lean left or right at the same time you lose the focus of where you are and what you need to achieve (which in this case isn’t to drown on a sunny Sunday) and are dumped unceremoniously into the abyss and hope there is someone there to throw you a life line!

Moral of the tale go to Lee Valley watching the rapids is great & the burgers not bad either! It may make you ponder as I did about how life and work is like those sets of rapids, scary, bumpy & trying not to fall, but knowing you have the support of those around you to paddle for you when maybe you can’t.