Swimming in Mountain Rivers

A friend of mine recently posted a meme on her Facebook page that said, “Some people have never swam in a mountain river and it shows,” and immediately I was transported back to my childhood.

On hot summer days, we loved it when my dad would come home from work and announce, “Get your bathing suits on, we’re going to the lake!” Those were fantastic days. We felt like we were going on vacation!

But sometimes, on Sundays, we would load up in the car, stop and grab a watermelon from a roadside stand, pick up some KFC®, and drive to the mountains. When we arrived, we would place the watermelon in the water to get cold, and we would enjoy the chilly water until we could eat. It was a wonderful afternoon just spent with family.

Of course, the water would be so cold that our lips would turn blue. Someone always had to keep an eye out for the snakes coming down stream. Plus, everyone knew the best spots, so you had to arrive early and hunker down so that no one took over your spot.

With the weather warming up, I often find myself reminiscing on those childhood memories of swimming in the river up in the mountains. I’ve tried to remember how or where we went, but truthfully, I don’t remember. I do know that it wasn’t that far up in the mountains. I do know that it wasn’t quite a river, but more of a creek. I also remember that you didn’t go into the water barefoot, because you didn’t know if someone decided to chunk a glass bottle off into the water or not. Yes, people could be that cruel.

One day this summer, I hope to go for a drive and try to find that spot. Not to swim, but just to be closer to the memory of my childhood and my parents. Hopefully, it will bring me the peace that I’ve been seeking. To sit and listen to the flowing water as it passes it’s way through and over the rocks. That’s peace.