Growing up in Silicon Valley you don’t always know what you don’t know, even though you might think you know.
For instance the idea of owning a boat seemed, well, ridiculous to say the least. On occasion during side conversations at cocktail parties I might here the statement, “Boating is like cutting $100 bills as fast as you can.” or the well known, “The two best days are the day you buy a boat and the day you sell your boat.”
“There’s more to the truth than just the facts.” Author Unknown
All of that changed the day I decided to take a “leap-of-faith” shocking friends and family back home and a few Grand Lakers by starting a new and adventurous life on the shores of Grand Lake. This continues to be one of the best decisions I have ever made, besides marrying my wife, Kristen.
Everything I had known was left behind and a new chapter opened. A chapter that included my first visit to a Wal-Mart store, watching satellites at night, observing eagles in flight, experiencing the wildlife that living on Grand Lake is so blessed with, and a new owner of a boat dock. Having never owned a boat dock before I was not so sure what its purpose was except to sit on it and watch the day go by.
Neighbors would come down and show me how to fish for crappie and fishermen would show up fishing all around it which seemed oddly foreign to me. As far as I was concerned it was a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning before starting the day.
As Kristen and I got to know more and more people in the community we were consistently asked two questions, “Have you found a home church yet?” and “Have you bought a boat to fill your boat dock with?” Both were new concepts to say the least.
At first owning a boat was not a priority. That was before we got picked one night and went for a boat ride around Grand Lake. After a couple of more rides around the Lake I started thinking, “You know a boat could be nice.” That is when I got my first taste of the Tulsa Boat Show as a guest of Mike and Harriett Long. As I looked at these boats I realized there was more to a boat than just a hull and motor.
It took a while, but after a couple months of browsing and testing Kristen and I became the proud owners a 28-foot Cuddy Cabin SeaRay. We didn’t think about it when we brought our boat, but discovered after several journeys around that Lake that a bigger boat would be much better for those days when the wakes from other boats can make the ride less than enjoyable. This is a case when bigger is better.
Our first trip out onto the Lake was at dusk and we decided to drive our boat to the dam. It was a beautiful star studded evening. Then everything got dark and everything changed. Where were we? Which direction did we need to go to get home? After a few hours of following the shoreline into a number of coves and hollows we finally discovered the cove that lead to our home. As we passed each neighbor, his lights went off, and with a sigh of relief we finally successfully parked the boat.
That is when we decided we needed training on how to navigate our boat and find out other things about boating that we didn’t know. The next day we signed up for The Boat Smart Course in Grove. At the conclusion of the coarse, with a certificate in hand and a new sense of confidence, we set out to explore the Lake at night which has become our favorite time to take our boat out on Grand Lake.
“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
Henry David Thoreau
It has now been eight years since we purchased that SeaRay and when I desire a shift in attitude or a bit of inspiration a ride on the lake remains one of the most effective ways to achieve a natural high. Whether taking a ride to Mooney’s or a friends house nothing makes me smile or feel as good as a boat ride. Who would have thought?
I found out a couple years ago that part of the reason for my feeling such a natural high while boating is because the surface of water holds a thin layer of ozone which is lifted into the air as the boat cuts through the water filling my lungs. Now I breathe in deeply as I make my figure eights and cruise through the water.
Boating is definitely one of the best forms of transportation that I have come across and, like so many things about living on Grand Lake, owning a boat is one of the best parts. Meeting friends out on the Lake for dinner, sharing celebrations out on our boat with family and friends, and watching the stars and moon at dusk all take on a whole new meaning when you are out on the water. And, add to all of this the natural high that boating can give you. Boating has it all.
For me the purchase of my boat remains one of the best purchases that I’ve made. If you have been considering a boat purchase and need a little nudge, Spring is just around the corner and the upcoming Tulsa Boat show is the perfect place to explore the options available to you.
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” Roy Disney
Let me know what you think.
Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.
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