One major part of my life where I find a sense of playfulness and adventure is rowing whaleboats with my fellow teammates. We have been together as a team for twenty years now, and in addition to rowing, enduring friendships among my teammates have also grown. Unfortunately, the pandemic and the need to social distance and wear masks has kept us out of the boats since last March. Our overall rowing club, comprised of many teams, has been able to resume rowing in recent weeks, but some of our “more seasoned” (old!) team members feel it is still too risky.

My wife and I are blessed with seven grandchildren between the ages of two and 15, who all live within a fifteen minutes’ drive of us. This Grampa, after playing kickball with the whole crew, and me as permanent pitcher, has more fun than I can handle, actually, and I love it. When I wake up the next morning I “feel’ just how much fun I had!

I have been living and coping with chronic back pain now for eleven years, even after more treatments than I can count. I have yet to see the “gift” in this situation. Other chronic situations beg the question, what can be done, if possible, to change the equation, thereby mitigating, altering, or removing what it is that is chronic? When something is chronically challenging, which I take to be unpleasant, painful, or hurtful, I don’t sit around looking for gifts in the situation, I look for solutions and when possible, exits.

I have been involved in retreat ministry for Quaker children and teens for nearly four decades. It represents a great deal of work beforehand, during and after a residential weekend-long retreat has ended. Nobody does this work for the money. We do it for the transformational experience it gives young people. We also do it for the equally transformational experience it gives us as adults, too. There is no greater gift than being present when a child truly learns something new, has a spiritual experience of their own, makes new friends, overcomes a fear or walks up at the end of a retreat and asks me, “Will you be staffing at our next retreat?” That, for the heart and spirit, is payday.

Good morning, Howie, Our club, Whaling City Rowing, located in New Bedford, MA, in compliance with the Massachusetts Covid-19 Guidelines, reopened on August 15. However, some of us who are older, including myself (I’m 70), have decided not to row until there is a vaccine. Even though we’re onside on the water, when rowing James Beetle Whaleboats, with five rowers and one boat steerer, it’s impossible to maintain social distancing when pulling through the stroke cycle. But, I steer for my team, the Gray Buzzards, and instruct new rowers and teach other club members how to steer. Where I stand and sit in the boat is fairly well distanced from the other crew members, so I may, in time, do some limited steering.

And when that happens, Howie, you would be very welcome to row with us. We have folks from all over the world look us up and come out for one or several rows when they’re in our area. Take care.

Morning, Howie, I just posted and listed rowing as one of my passions also! As for competition, you’re right, it is something else again! But rowing in a 28 foot whaleboat with five other guys/gals in a competition is thrilling, actually. And while it’s not supposed to be a contact sport, it actually is as you race around rocks, sandbars, and large sea lane markers, trying to beat the other guy around the “mark” because doing so shaves off time, not to mention playfully intimidating folks in the other boat as oars from different teams are so close that they “click” one another through power strokes! That too, I miss greatly!

So glad for you that you’re back on the water!