BEASTIES, COLD water and WARM HEARTS

We swim all year round. Val swam with hundreds of jellyfish a few days ago in the Raglan harbour. I didn’t. Fortunately I was teaching at Te Uku School and fortunately the jellyfish were harmless! 
We’ve swum with stingrays at Taiharuru, Whangarei Heads and stingrays in our harbour too. You also don’t want to have an unplanned and unwanted swim with crocodiles… 
Back in 1985 our oldest daughter Sarah (then aged 5), a friend and I were in a vehicle crossing a river in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Dieter was driving and forgot to engage the 4 wheel drive function. We lurched and slid nearer to the crocodile infested waters. Water poured around our legs. Miraculously he managed to wrestle back control and drive to safety. Whew. Much closer to home and now in Napier (a few weeks ago) Val and I watched as the vibrant swimming community of Ahuriri met together at dawn for an ocean swim. There was no rush to get in the water. Not because it was cold, but because hugs, handshakes and laughter were the first priority. Animated conversations could be heard many metres away. ‘If you can’t ‘beat em, join em’, so we did a while later. To me, this is kindness in action. If we’re too busy to talk and laugh together, then we’re too busy. Life is to be enjoyed not just endured. 


Comments

  1. alizFebruary 8, 2025 at 7:36 AM

    This story beautifully captures the connection with nature and community through swimming. From thrilling encounters with jellyfish and stingrays to a terrifying moment in crocodile-infested waters, it highlights the importance of respecting the environment and embracing the unknown. The scene in Napier, where warmth and camaraderie take precedence over diving straight into the water, is a touching reminder of the value of human connection. It reinforces the idea that life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured, and that shared moments of laughter and conversation are just as essential as the activities themselves.
    _______________
    Buy all you need at maxwarehouse.com for great deals and fast shipping.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Your Face

Sometimes being kind doesn’t seem to work and when this happens it can be confusing and hurtful. I recall such a time… Driving on a main arterial route in Hamilton I noticed ahead of me a man pushing his car. I pulled my car over to the side of the road and ran over to help. Placing my hands on the boot I pushed too. The car was on a slight uphill incline, so my help was surely going to make a difference.  You know that sense you have when something isn’t quite right with the world. Well, unexpectedly he curtly said “Get your hands off my car!” Startled, I  replied. “Excuse me?” Making sure I heard correctly he said in a more forceful voice. “I told you once. I don’t want your help. Go away!”  I backed away, bewildered. I couldn’t understand why he wanted to push his car by himself. I just wanted to do the right thing. To help him. POINTS to PONDER Sometimes our desire to help isn’t wanted or appreciated. Get over yourself if this happens.  We do not know what...
Read more

BELONGING

I’m reading a book ‘Belonging’ by Owen Eastwood (2021). Owen has Irish and Māori descendants. He has a wonderfully considered understanding of whakapapa (genealogy) which means the tracing of lines of inheritance from our ancestors/descendants - it is also about our links to the land (whenua) and our connections to people and our relationships with them. But what if we don’t belong for a time? In my career in education spanning 45 years, I’ve experienced a workplace where I was ostracised, maligned and sidelined. This has possibly happened to you. I was also micromanaged and bullied. Highly stressed and feeling a failure, Val would watch me leave for work and worry about my wellbeing. Not anymore. Without the unwavering support and encouragement of a number of colleagues, Val’s unconditional love and knowing that I was safe and secure with family and friends then I’m not sure where I would be today.  Today I belong. I believe in myself, my ideas and know I am worthy. I’m part of so...
Read more

BLAH de BLAH BLAH?

It may surprise you that I enjoy talking with people…  For many years I had a stutter and talking was a form of torture. Now I’m rarely too busy for a chat and a laugh (Making up for lost time perhaps). Val loves to have a chat too and I love the way she makes friends  with supermarket check-out staff and is unfailingly welcoming to people she meets.  One of our Raglan neighbours had ordered catering supplies. The bread company personnel had delivered their order and walked towards our home. Val and I were working in our garden, looked up and initiated a conversation with them. A few minutes of banter followed. Then, ‘out of the blue’ they offered us a free box of bread treats. Eh? They must have noticed our confused looks, so they said, “This is our way of thanking you for being kind to us.” We  accepted their kind offer. In a good way we had interrupted their busy day and in their own way they appreciated that.  I’m sure that some readers of my blog will think...
Read more