Even though my kayak has been in dry dock much of the summer, I have managed to work in a handful of trips. The last one covered a little stretch of the river that I wrote about over two years ago (see Exploring Ain't for Sissies). I had just gotten my kayak at the time and was really nervous about paddling this particular area. So when Richard and I set out for the same section last weekend, I was interested to see if any of my old fears would resurface.
The stretch I am referring to runs along Two Rivers Park on the side that faces the Arkansas River. The “heart of darkness,” as I like to call it, is hidden behind two small islands and surrounded by thick reeds and dead stumps... a place in which the Creature of the Black Lagoon would feel right at home. The water is so shallow there that it would be hard for any boat besides a kayak to get through it.
This was the section of the river that had given me the willies previously. But as I looked around, all the old perils I remembered had vanished. Floating logs no longer looked like alligators. Submerged stumps were not avenging souls scratching the bottom of my boat. Gone were my visions of Jason jumping out of the water to grab me and drag me under.
Where had all the phantoms gone, and why the heck had this place made me so nervous in the first place? I felt a little ridiculous as I thought about it. Maybe fear in general is ridiculous -- I can't say for sure -- but it would be nice to give life a try without it.