I love when the water is glassy and as I glide I can hear when my oars plunk in together or when they don't. Sometimes I close my eyes so I can feel the center of my body and whether it's off balance or not, whether I'm rushing the slide. I realize that there's still more to learn. Sometimes I can hear the depth of my oars in the water and can gauge how relaxed I am. Granted, that's a little hard to do if the river's crowded, but on mornings like this morning, I am a sole participant in the water dance.
People often express how much they love rowing, or hate it, for that matter.
As a convert from ball games such as soccer, for a while I remained unconvinced. I felt inconsequential in those big eights, and to some extent, deaf. Almost indifferent to sweep rowing, I chanced getting into that itsy bitsy boat of a single scull. For some, sculling is a lonely pursuit. To others, it is blessed freedom.