These paddle boats had two seats in front, where riders can operate the pedals, and two seats in back for mere observers. If you thought the young boys would opt for the latter, well, your kids must be grown.
These two youngsters scrambled into the front as their dad eased behind them. One kid asked, “How fast can we go?”
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“As fast as you can,” Dad replied.
“Really?!” The two shrieked in unison. “As fast as we want?”
“As fast as you can,” Dad smiled. I chuckled and caught his eyes, nodding as if to say, well-played.
At best, this watercraft was built for speed the way a snail was made to race. Actually, the common Gastropod has one advantage — they chug (slime) along propelled by one foot, while a paddle boat has two means of propulsion. In theory, this would entail twice the muscle power, but if you think young siblings are known for cooperative synchronicity, well, perhaps you know more about snails and other wild creatures.
I watched as this boat spun in a painfully slow circle, as the older brother out-pedaled the younger, and realized this was a metaphor for sibling rivalry — so much effort to go nowhere. Sure, there’s something to be said for friendly competition that propels you to your best. But more often, when my kids compete, they end up like these boys, yelling and crying, and I become the referee.
The other dad stayed calm as the boys paddled on. Once they had exhausted themselves, he leaned over the seat and began to coach them.
“Peddle together, just listen to me. First right foot, then left foot … right foot, left foot … right, left, right, left … hey, here we go!”
As the boat chugged ahead, sunlight sparkled on the water and the children’s laughter rippled through the air.
“Warp speed!” Dad yelled. The coach had become the cheerleader. I was a huge fan.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of Gently Between the Words: Essays and Poems and a new book of poems -Tigers, Mice & Strawberries.He is the pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, also an ordained minister, parent three children and a dog named Ramona.