Rocks under the water

We’ve had an awesome kayaking season this year; the weather has been great and the temperatures very comfortable. The cooler temperatures are a very good thing since I wear long sleeved SPF-50 shirts and they can be pretty uncomfortable when it gets hotter.

We’ve mainly kayaked on the Charles River. Every time we go there, I can’t help but think of that 60’s song, “Love that Dirty Water.” The fair state of Massachusetts, or rather, it’s tax-paying citizens, have spent millions of dollars cleaning up this river. But, I can say that the money was very well spent. The river is clean enough to kayak on it. I wouldn’t want to swim in it or eat any fish that were caught in it, but kayaking is safe.

On of the sections where we kayak is very, very scenic. You hardly see any houses, well except for some grand mansions, sitting up on hills. It’s as though you are out in the country. The only drawback to this section is that it is very rocky. Since the Charles is naturally murky, because of all the tanins (whatever they are), you can’t see the rocks until you are almost right on top of them. This can take away some of the enjoyment of the paddle.

These rocks are a perfect metaphor for life and business. Why?

1. You never know what lies ahead.

Be prepared, but don’t be scared.

2. There is risk in everything, but that shouldn’t rule your life.

We have beautiful fiberglass kayaks and if we hit a rock, they would be ruined. That doesn’t stop us from enjoying the river though. We are just very careful as we navigate through the rocky parts.

3. Know when to go and when to back off.

Luckily this year we’ve had lots of rain so the river is high. We have been able to kayak without fear of hitting the rocks. In a dry season, we don’t go to this part of the river, knowing that the rocks may get us.

I shouldn’t be surprised that nature can teach us a lot about life and even business.

 Rocks under the water photo is courtesy of BLMurch’s Flickr Photostream, under Creative Commons Licensing.