Seriously gorgeous day in Philadelphia but hot as ever. We headed down in the morning to Bertram’s Garden and Boathouse. Sun beat down hard on the waters we wanted so badly to just jump in. A double kayak we chose and roamed upon the waters, water splashing on our arms and legs and tennis shoes. You see so much more in kayak then you see in a car. Slowing the pace allows you to see more detailed scenery and subtle details of the city or town or place in which you are exploring. I must say our biceps hurt after that because synchronizing strokes is a whole different type of love. Too hard on the right and you spin in a complete circle. Too hard on the left and you tend to also go in the opposite direction and you think about kayaking as a symbol of the word community. We so easily preach about the importance of community, team building to form community, supporting the community, changing your community and quite honestly what people forget is the complexity of that word. Two people in a kayak rowing down the river is hard work. If the paddles become unsynchronized or the strength is greater int he back than it i in the front, you find yourself drifting. 

One of our fellow kayakers did give us a few tips and tricks and the one thing he said was, “Make sure you communicate. Don’t be afraid to talk out loud and say “left. right. left. right.” "I just want you guys to have a good experience!" He said with a smile. I loved his honesty and his concern. However, no matter how silly we may have looked, we were greatly enjoying our experience nevertheless. 

You think about the community, our community, a community you have passed by before and you think about what it takes to build strength within that community, to make sure the kayak doesn’t tip to communicate with all of those mixed voices, to synchronize ideas into one streamline idea that allows you to move forward rather than spinning in a circle or drifting into the underbrush. Community is a word so easy to say but difficult to build, nurture and grow. 

I suppose the next time you hear someone say something negative or even positive about your community, your hometown, think about that kayak, point them in the right direction, get them to think about how difficult it is to move a kayak does the river with thousands of people. And then remember that it isn’t always streamline direction that propels growth. Accept that all kayaks can be moving in different directions but pathways can still intersect to create a better tomorrow. That kayak community whimsy.