I thought I’d taught myself to row when I was eight. I had inherited a small wooden dinghy from my older siblings and had worked on it during the weekends all spring. I proudly kept the Sum Fun at our local beach tied to a tree. Not being a swimmer meant I wore a bulky, orange life jacket while commanding my vessel. Showing off as best I could, I did some fishing and ferried folks to the swim dock.  I didn’t like the life jacket but feared learning to swim more.  My conflict was that I loved boats but rowing the Sum Fun reminded me of my fear. 

Rowing had always been a chore. I rowed because the wind died or because I didn’t have an engine or it had broken. I rowed because that was the stealthiest way to catch fish. Rowing was work or a price to pay for going someplace.

Fifty years since the Sum Fun I can be found practicing Tai Chi with an organization that also rows.  Those among me appear normal enough but make the rowing sound like fun. I can only dismiss this oddness for so long as even my Tai Chi master expresses great passion and skill at the oars.  In fact, it is not long before I see the obvious connection between Tai Chi and rowing.  Suddenly rowing is fun. 

Today I humbly begin learning to row.