Beep Beep

Last week, I was kayaking on the coast of Maine. One day, I was carrying my boat down a slope to the water and passed a group of paddlers who had just finished up. My eyes locked with one of them as recognition sparked. I had met Chris several years ago when I was in Bayfield, Wisconsin to paddle the Apostle Islands. He’s based there and imparted the mantra that’s on everyone’s lips in that town, “The Lake is the boss.” It’s also on t-shirts, signs and about anything else you could print on. Lake Superior takes no prisoners and all the ship wrecks on its floor attest to that. Even though the town makes a decent living from kayakers who journey to this mecca, they always suspect we’re in over our heads and will predict doom to your face. What mostly supports their viewpoint are those who paddle there without proper training or equipment. Why someone would venture out onto that killer expanse without preparation is beyond me. So, running into Chris planted the seed of this memory in my mind. I’ll add another thought that may seem unrelated, as many of mine do. “Beep Beep” was a song by the Playmates (1958). In a nutshell, the singer is rhapsodizing about driving his powerful, expensive car, up until he’s smoked by another guy in a Rambler (cheap car). Pretty much lets the air out of his balloon. After exchanging pleasantries with Chris, my paddling companion and I launched onto the open seas, headed out into the ocean for an island chain. While the weather and waves blessed us with good conditions, we knew that could change at any time. At first, we were a little “tight” as port receded into the distance. But, confidence swelled with time as well as no small amount of pride that we were taking on the North Atlantic. That is, until we reached the first island and rounded its tip to the far side. There, we encountered two paddlers in small, inexpensive rental kayaks. Kind of devalued our whole experience. They waved and shouted to us cheerily. My recollection was that all we could do was stare. Beep beep!