I'm pretty easy going. I'm allergic to cats, and we "own" three of them. They tell me when they want out. And in. And out. And in again. They also give me sh!t when I'm sitting in "their" comfy chair. (The one I have to keep shampooing.) I'm easy going. We have a resident mommy skunk and babies living under my work shed. I don't wander too much in the yard at night, and if I do, I don't make any sudden moves. The babies are cute, but mommy can't be trusted. They'll move out in the fall. Meanwhile, a family of raccoons rumble my garden every night to cause trouble. They muddy the bird baths and tumble through my wild flowers. The youngsters are cute, and when the cold weather comes, they'll move on. I'm easy going. All summer long mother Robins, Grackles and Starlings hold classes for their downy chicks in my yard, foraging for bugs, worms, and my precious raspberries. More berries will grow for me and them next year.
I'm easy going. Seeing a single blade quietly caressing the waters next to the elegant form of a canoe, is canoeing to me. Packs safely stowed, an unhurried guy or gal with eyes squinting towards the distant shore, is canoeing to me. Calmly hoisting pack and canoe for a solemn woodland walk across a portage, is canoeing to me. Sitting next to a small smouldering fire, with pipe, cigar, or steaming cup of coffee in hand while pondering tomorrows peaceful adventures, is canoeing to me. Using a kayak blade isn't canoeing to me. The thought of it seems awkward and strange, but the idea of saving strength and exertion appeals to me. It may be just another skill and compromise I'll need to adopt... but I'm easy going. I've never been a purist in any pursuit.
For some of you, canoeing is the action and the exercise. For others it's the tradition and the history. And still for others it's the art and the poetry. I'm still looking, feeling, finding what canoeing is to me. Maybe it's a little of all that you hold dear. I'm patient. I'll know when I find a glimmer of that magic moment. And when I do find it, I'll relax, breathe in, breathe out, and patiently pray to find it again. Because I'm easy going.