Thoughts from the Pres… by Jed Pitre

I recently devoured A Land of Ghosts, a work by biologist David G. Campbell about the people and places of the western Amazon. A passage from the book continues to drift into my mind like sweet smoke from a distant campfire. Campbell describes a night paddle he took to pass time while waiting for dinner.

“A well-crafted dugout canoe is otter-swift and so exquisitely balanced that it becomes an extension of your body. In the moonless night, undistracted by the day’s bright visual clutter, I become the river. I can feel the water through the body of the canoe, the eddies, the upwelling snags, even the wakes of fishes. And a well-wrought oar – lightweight, planed from a single strong buttress, so perfectly tear-shaped that every stroke is effortless – merges with the river as if it were itself made of water.”

Becoming the river. That metaphor is what keeps me paddling. I am drawn to the idea of being one with boat, paddle and water. I know I will never achieve it, but there have been moments. It is these moments that keep pulling me back.

We all paddle for different reasons. I encourage you to think about why you paddle and then decide to just get out and paddle more. It is what you love. It is why you joined the club. I always seem to have a kind of inertia when I haven’t paddled in a while. It is always easy to think of reasons not to go: too tired to pack things, don’t have the right gear, too much to clean when I get back, don’t want to get up early. I’ve learned to set my self up for success. Keeping everything organized ahead of time, having dedicated canoe gear and having a system for cleaning and stowing gear has made it much more likely that I will go paddling.

We have some great trips on the calendar. Pick one and make it happen! I am looking forward to seeing old paddling friends and meeting new ones. Thanks for the vote of confidence in electing me as your new president. Be careful out there.

Peace,

Jed