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Updated on Wednesday*:
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Andy and I made a recent jaunt to the region called Deep
Creek Lake, Md., a special retreat for us that is full of fun times and
memories. It is the place we escape to with our beloved friends: Scott,
Jenn, Brian, Mellody, Tim and newest addition, five-month-old Rachel
(AKA, Sweet Baby Rae). Over the years, we have found our time in Deep
Creek to be like the balm of Gilead. With the state of our busy summer,
we were in need of rest, and I was on the hunt for a respite, like Ahab
for his whale.
Though the time away was only a weekend, it was time
that was spent being still. There are activities that go along with
every Deep Creek trip. Jenn and I assembled a puzzle, we grilled out, we
played games in the evening, there was the occasional movie, we did some
hiking, and we relaxed on the porch overlooking the lake.
It is rare to find a group of people that are
comfortable simply being together. This group of friends is a true
blessing. There is no necessary maintenance, no laborious conversations,
and no effort in our time together. They are the kind of people that you
can sit with all evening and say not a word, but when the moon has risen
and it is bedtime, you walk away feeling as if you have had the most
enlightening conversation. I love that, and I love them.
Left to right,kneeling, Tim Busch, Brian Lewis (holding Rachel);
standing, Maricia Mlynek, Andy Mlynek, Mellody Walburn, Jenn Lewis and
Scott Schenerlein.
We ventured into a new pilgrimage. We took a pontoon
boat out and investigated the shores of Deep Creek. It was a perfect
afternoon. There was a storm moving into the area that made the weather
wonderful. The sun hid behind many forming clouds, and the wind was a
cool gust that made the mist from the water chilly. It was the kind of
day that would make a sea captain feel alive and challenge a first mate
on the hunt for Moby Dick. I could imagine Ishmael saying, “His courage
was one of the great staples of the ship, like beef or flour. There,
when required, and not to be foolishly wasted.”
One of the great staples of our ship was not courage,
but contentment, which, I agree with Ishmael, should not be foolishly
wasted. We live in an age where everything is fast, convenient, and
instant. I find it exhausting. On the waters of Deep Creek Lake, among
my dear friends, life was good. My hunt was successful.
I can hear the scoffs of those who are always busy. I
know that some roll their eyes at the sight of relaxing. I am aware that
many struggle if not on task and constantly moving toward a goal. I say
that the sea you sail is a sea of barren emptiness. Take sail in a more
inviting sea. As for me, I hunt that precious quiet time. Like Ahab,
“I’ll follow him around the Horn, and around the Norway maelstrom, and
around perdition’s flames, before I give him up.”
It has been a long and restful journey. The boat has
come to dock, and it is time to march on the land of our labors. No
guilt is felt in a weekend of rest. Time spent making people better
friends is not time wasted. “By heavens man, we are turned round and
round in this world, like yonder windlass, and fate is the handspike.” I
left Deep Creek thinking about the truth of Captain Ahab’s words, but
feeling thankful to have seen a better ending to my hunt than his.
If you have a S.O.S. story, send it to The Calhoun
Chronicle, P.O. Box 400, Grantsville, WV 26147, or email to
contact@calhounchronicle.com.
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