One Day Can Change everything that you know about yourself…… It was the summer of 1994; I was 23 years old and still attending in College at Northeast State and working full time as an Electrician’s Helper at Fluor Daniel inside the Tennessee Eastman. . Norman Sloan, who was a friend and Co-worker, invited me to go Whitewater rafting with him and his daughter on the Nolichucky River. I had never gone rafting before, and I almost declined the invitation. It cost $89 to go on the trip with them. Even after I paid the money upfront, I still considered backing out and not going. After all my time was precious and I had very little free time in those days. And if the truth be told, I really wanted to sleep late, instead of getting up early and going all the way to Erwin. Even as I got out of bed that Saturday morning, I still considered calling Norman and telling him that I wasn’t going and then going back to bed. Oh, I came so close to doing that., but I didn’t. I made myself get up and meet Norman and his daughter at the Hardees on Stone Drive in Kingsport; where the 3 of us had a quick breakfast and I climbed into the back seat of Norman’s S-10 Blazer (back then S-10 Blazer’s only had 2 doors). And we rode to Erwin, I wanted to doze off in the back seat on the way there, but I could get myself comfortable enough to doze off. After we arrived at this small cabin with picnic tables. They fitted me for a life jacket. It stank like old mildew, and a thin plastic helmet. Then they made us watch a 5 minute long safety video on what to do if (or when) you get bumped out of the raft. The 3 of us weren’t the only ones there. There were about 10 people there that day. They loaded us up on a old worn out school bus and drove us over to the North Carolina side of the boarder and unloaded us. They divided the 10 people up into two groups and put 5 people on two rafts. They divided us up based on our size. I ended up in the Raft opposite of Norman and his daughter, so I was in a raft with 4 strangers and the guide. Just before they put the raft into the water, Our guide coached us on how he wanted us to roll. Then we entered the water. I can still remember that it was a picture perfect blue sky day with no clouds in sight. The section of the Nolichucky River that we put in at was calm. Then the guide had us to practice rowing the ores and steering the raft. Soon, we were moving down the Nolichucky River, and water was splashing all around us, and we were plowing into large surges of water current and bouncing off of boulders. This was exhilarating. My heart pumped with excitement, the raft was like a bucking wild bull at a rodeo and somehow I was managing to stay on.(although others in my group kept falling out). I could feel the sensation of the rushing water beneath me and it made my adrenaline levels flow at maximum capacity. Never had I ever experienced anything like this. It was better than an amusement park ride. That trip lasted about 6 hours. As soon as it was over, I immediately wanted to go do it again. Even in the ride back to Kingsport, I could still feel the adrenalin in my veins still pumping. “Where has this been all my life” I thought to myself. 6 weeks later I bought my first Kayak at Mahoney’s Outdoor center in Johnson City……Although I have only gone rafting one other time. I took up Kayaking as my hobby and I have never looked back. Kayaking has taken me all over Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia and Kentucky. I have even kayaked in the same river where they filmed the Burt Reynolds movie “Deliverance”. just south of Chattanooga. In 2002, Mahoney’s in Johnson City used to have photos of Me and Steven Walker Kayaking on the Nolichucky on their bulletin board (those pictures were displayed there until about 2004)Each time I conquered a new river it was like putting another notch in my belt.. It’s hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago. Kayaking became such a part of my like that I cannot imagine these last 20 years without the Sport of Kayaking. It’s become part of who I am. ………And to think, that None of that would’ve ever happened if Norman had never invited me to go Whitewater rafting that day in 1994. Norman passed away a few years ago, Thanks Norman. That day changed my life forever.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 18:21:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015