Saturday, July 6, 2013

It's In My Blood

Me sitting on the engine box on a boat named after me.

Boating. 
It is in my blood. 

16' Galstron I learned to ski from.

From way back into the 1600s 
my ancestors named Newcomb (my maiden name) were
from coastal areas: 
Martha's Vineyard, MA & Cape Cod, MA to
to Portland, ME to Vineland, NJ. 
There were sea captains and whalers, 
but also farmers and carpenters thrown in there too. 

 Me, thumbs up means faster. 

I spent the weekends of my childhood onboard a boat. 
My brother says he remembers holding my baby bottle
by the boat engine to warm it. 

 My nephew skiing behind his boat with my brother at the helm. 

My husband, the engineer, is much too practical to own a boat. 
But my nephew has picked up the slack there. 
I have spent hours boating with him.  

My son tubing from his cousin's boat. 

Once on the boat 
with the waves splashing 
and the engine roaring 
I have an internal sense of home. 

Splash from the stern makes a rainbow. 

That sense is very strange in some respects 
because boating with my father was ANYTHING 
but calming or relaxing. 
TRAUMATIC is the best descriptor I can think of. 

My brother at the helm of my nephew's boat. 
(He shares the traumatic memories.)

But with my nephew, 
the trauma is forgotten 
and the sweeter memories of childhood 
are rekindled.  

My son being whipped around by his cousin 
creating a different kind of traumatic memory. 
Hopefully, a happier one. 

I would have more childhood photos 
if Evil Sister would share them. 
But what do you expect from someone 
who brainwashed your father against his other kids,
threw her demented mother under the bus for money, 
refused to even tell the rest of us when our father passed away 
and still won't tell where our parents' ashes are buried...
if they are buried at all. 

My son's girlfriend takes a spin. 

We are much happier without Evil Sister's manipulations anyway...
so forget the old photos. 
We have less traumatic memories to document now.  

Now excuse me while we go buy a boat
er...kayak. 

3 comments:

MadSnapper said...

you would love my husband, just change the names and places and you have my Bob... he feels about water like you do. I refuse to get in a boat or look at a boat or do anything but sit on a bank. he has water in his blood, i have stable land of which i refuse to embark from.... so many family have evil sisters or brothers or mothers. but you have your wonderful family and that is all you need. have fun on the water in the kayak

Wayne said...

I have always enjoyed time on friends/family boats, but I never had the inclination to own one myself. Sadly, we all have evil ones in out families, I'm glad you have replaced that with goodness. Just keep remembering 'what goes around, comes around'.

Anonymous said...

My husband is an engineer as well and NO WAY will he ever buy a boat. I suppose first he would have to learn how to swim? LOL