Most of my wonderful experiences are along the coast of South Jersey... frisbee throwing, chilling with siblings and cousins, Kadima tournaments, sandy sandwiches, amusement piers, Pictionary battles, and hours of facing waves even after the lifeguards drug their towering stands away from the waterline for the day.
In recent years, however, I have also had the pleasure of traveling south with my in-laws to places like Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks (still the only place where I have ever seen black bear.)
We always got beach-front property, so our backyard was the sand and sea at all times. My experiences down south have been rocking chairs on the porch, fireworks every night, card games (which I stink at), and episodes of The Bachelorette and Survivor.
I have been blessed with many positive memories along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean; but, sadly, one memory in 2009 still haunts me and, I am sure, many who remember that day.
It was a late Wednesday afternoon, and what happened that day changed the spirit of the week from cheerful to somber. As many of us sat rocking on the chairs on the porch, others lay on blankets drinking in the sun, and still others floated on rafts in the water, a distinct sense of urgency swept the beaches.
About three football fields away from our rental, we could see lifeguards clearing people out of the water, ambulances storming the sand, and helicopters hovering above.
We did not know what was happening, but an hour or so later, the man delivering our pizzas told us that a young thirteen year-old traveling with his baseball team got caught in a riptide. Beach-goers who immediately formed a human chain did not rescue him, nor did police vehicles scouring the coastline through the night recover him for his family.
His name was Lonnie Hill, Jr. He was a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a friend, a classmate, a grandchild, and so much more than we will ever know. He was a young boy who was well loved.
We did not know him personally, but his life forever changed mine that day.
Up until that afternoon, had I encountered a riptide I never thought about, I would not have been prepared for, would not know what to do, and would absolutely not be here today had it happened to me.
And I think the same is true for most of my family and friends.
So every year since that day, I make a point to, like it or not, harrass all those I love with frequent texts and postings about handling the unlikely, unpredictable riptide. It may never happen to you or anyone you love, and, hopefully, it won't. But, on any given day, it can happen to anyone.
So, take the one minute required from time to time to prepare for the unlikely. Remind yourself, inform your kids, and tell everyone you know. Lonnie Hill, Jr. was not spared, but his passing may save at least one life. And a single life is everything.
In the case of riptides, knowledge is power. Let's keep our seaside memories happy ones. See below.
Have a wonderful day & a safe summer :)
Credits
Painting Credit to Woody Duncan
www.taospaint.com
Painting Credit to Woody Duncan
www.taospaint.com
No comments:
Post a Comment