Last summer I spent a half hour teaching a young man how to do a low brace turn. It was some of the best 30 minutes of my summer.
Teaching kids (I refused to use the term pedagogy) is a joy. No ego, no expectations, no agendas, just a desire to learn. This young man observed me doing a low-brace turn when we were out on a tour of the Mink River in Door County. “I wanna learn that.” It was in three feet of water with a mud bottom, and I told him to be patient. I promised I’d show him later. He wouldn’t let me forget that.
We arrived back into the bay, we paddled over to a shallow part of the bay, almost flat with a limestone bottom. No sand, no muck; a perfect place to teach. We broke it down, we practiced each step and after a few false starts, he nailed it.
The look on his face. Priceless.
Paddling has given me a chance to meet some remarkable young people. Today was one of the days that makes me glad I do what I do.
A few times in the last twenty years I’ve had young people come in, parents in tow, looking a little sheepish and a little proud. Their parents speak first. “Our child wants to buy a kayak. With his own money.”
That gets me. Always.
Sheehan worked for over a year, shoveling snow, cutting grass and a host of other jobs. He earned several hundred dollars and was ready to buy a kayak. The parents (excellent parents, by the way) stood in the background and let this young man conduct his own business. I fetched a Perception Acadia Scout from the warehouse, and he stood in silence as I unwrapped it. A subtle, barely distinguishable grin flashed for a second. Clearly he wanted to come across as a serious customer.
His budget was exactly the cost of the kayak, and I decided an owner’s special was warranted. I found him a nice paddle that fit his style.
“Today, Sheehan, we’re having a special. This kayak and this paddle for what’s your pocket.” He was demure but said “thanks.”
It was a good deal for both of us. He will appreciate his kayak all the more since he paid for it with his own hard-earned cash. His parents kidded me about having him on staff. In a few years, we’ll take him for sure. In the meantime, I found some staff shirts in the basement — there are always lots of smalls left.
Sheehan’s biggest smile was from the t-shirt. He just stared at it for a few seconds, then his Mom whispered “Look on the back!” When he saw the STAFF written on the back he grinned, chuckled and said “Cool!” Then I handed one to his brother, and one to each of his parents. “This is for being good parents.”
Respectfully submitted,
Canoelover