Reading the River F
LIFE LESSONS FROM A BRUSH WITH DEATH BY RICHARD T. SPARKES
or nearly 30 years, the great rivers, lakes and forests in my beautiful home prov-
ince of New Brunswick have been telling me stories. Tey tell tales of patient grandfathers, with their grandsons, baiting hooks and clean- ing fresh trout, that teach about love and fam- ily. Tey also tell despicable stories about pol- luters and the ugly things poachers do with spotlights and axes and .410 rifles. If you listen close enough, the Canadian
landscape will reveal to you the truth of your own humanity. For nearly 30 years, I did not lis- ten. In fact, it wasn’t until May 18, 2008, that I was forced to sit up straight and pay attention. As I was coming about to help my best
friend, Jay, who had capsized when a quarter- ing wave caught him trying to fasten his stern hatch, I too flipped over and plunged into the six-degree water of the Kennebecasis River in Rothesay, N.B. where we stayed, clinging to the hulls of our kayaks, for nearly 45 minutes. When their efforts to help us climb back
into our boats failed, my wife, Carrie, and Jay’s wife, Danielle, through their tears, paddled
hard into the wind and made for shore in their tandem. By the time the rescue boat reached me, my muscles had begun to seize up and my speech was impaired. Te ambulance atten- dant told me another 20 minutes in the water could have been fatal. Tough it’s almost impossible to glean all
that nature has to teach when you’re wrapped up in the present moment of a life or death situation, time can reveal many life-lessons to you about the role our human potential can play within the environment. For instance, time has provided me with the
opportunity to hear Jay’s story of how when the rescue boat stopped to pick him up, he waved them on, telling them to get me first. It has allowed me to watch Carrie bravely relive those desperate minutes as she told her story of their stoical, two-kilometre race to shore and the helpless feeling of leaving Jay and I clinging to our kayaks in the middle of that churning river. Furthermore, in the two years since it has happened, I have learned to be more present with the people in my life, par-
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ticularly with my wife. I’ve discovered that our bond has strengthened because we’ve shared an experience that was so rife with raw human emotion. I don’t remember a time before when either of us had ever been so disarmed and so present with one another. Te only other time that has happened since was when our son, Hunter, was born almost a year later. Henry David Toreau wrote that “we are
enabled to apprehend...what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us.” I believe that our environment provides op-
portunities for us to explore the nuances of our own humanity, to discover truthful narra- tives about ourselves as we evolve within the landscape and, hopefully, by listening to the stories, we might all discover those qualities of beauty and nobility.
RICHARD T. SPARKES is a writer, teacher and avid outdoorsman who lives in rural Prince Edward Is- land with his wife, Carrie, and their son, Hunter.
WATERLINES is our reader essay column. Send your 500-word personal essays or stories to
editor@adventurekayakmag.com.
waterlines
Recreationalactivities nearhydrostationsand damsaredangerous
For your own safety obey all warnings at hydroelectric stations, dams and their surrounding shorelines and waterways. These facilities operate year-round, affecting water flows.Water that looks safe can become treacherous in minutes and ice forming near, or even several kilometres away, can become dangerous. Signs, fences, buoys and safety booms are there to warn you, but if you see water levels changing, move a safe distance away immediately. Be advised that people trespassing on OPG property may face charges, with fines of up to $2,000.
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