On Rowing Humboldt Bay

If you are a philosopher, and not in too much of a hurry to stop and dream a little, picture yourself as a rower in the early evening on the bay. The sun has just begun its descent in the west, the wind has calmed, the evening’s colors dance on the water. Gliding on the surface; arms, legs, and back moving in near perfect rhythm; you, the shell, and the water have become one. Less fortunate souls on the waterfront view you as poetry in motion.

The silence is complete but for the regular click of the oars in the oarlocks and the waters rippling and swirling away from the shell and the blades. You see your wake receding away in a straight line under the stern rising to a crescendo at the end of each stroke and fading away at the start of the next one. Above your own aerobic breathing you hear the cry of an osprey. To your left a string of pelicans glide on an invisible cushion of air just above the water.

You will not be in a hurry, for you are where you want to be. You will not be bored, for the challenge of the sea is eternal. You will not be worried, for there is no room in the boat for the heavy burdens of life ashore. You will not disturb the marine ecology, for your silent passage discharges no poisons on the water nor harms a living thing.

You will feel humble in the grandeur of your surroundings but you will be envious of no one. You will be completely alone but not lonely. You will have an inner glow and peace that nothing can duplicate.

You will be living.

Adapted from a writing by Arthur Martin, rower, boatbuilder, and author of Life in the Slow Lane

Humboldt Bay Rowing Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of rowing for community members of all ages and abilities. HBRA is located in the Adorni Center and the HSU Boathouse on the Eureka Waterfront. Please call 707.677.3214 for further information.