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Natural body of water you swam in?
- Thread starter Randy
- Start date
Opposite side for me: Pacific Ocean
…actually it was probably a local river or lake. it’s been a while so my memory is fuzzy.
I've lived in near the ocean my whole life and I still think its neat.
The Atlantic Ocean.
At night I still remember being amazed at being surrounded by tiny phosphorous that sparkle all around you like lightening bugs when you splash the water.
Sea sparkle
At night I still remember being amazed at being surrounded by tiny phosphorous that sparkle all around you like lightening bugs when you splash the water.
Sea sparkle
The local reservoir, I circumnavigated it back in august just to see if I could.
You swam around the whole thing?
yup, lots of floating/resting.
Thats quite the accomplishment.
I e been swimming long distance for years. Fortunately it was in the summer.
People around here love to float down the rivers. I still haven't done it.
That is pretty cool!
I have never swam anywhere.. but I have nearly drowned 3 times in my life.
The first time was in the Chesapeake Bay of Buckroe Beach in Hampton, VA.
I'm not going to lie, I was stupidly curious kid trying to reach a really cool looking buoy that I erroneously thought I could reach because it was so close.. I didn't account for the downward slope underwater.. and I slipped and it was a good thing my aunt called me back and my uncle followed me and grabbed me before I got too far.
The second time, was in the James River in Newport News, VA.. that was a baptism gone horribly awry.. the pastor was praying and then he started speaking in tongues and it scared the bejesus out of me, and when he tried to dip me, I fought him every step of the way and got away fron him. My grandfather was a pastor at a different church so I had seen him do dozens of baptisms, but never sounding like a Cacodemon from Doom.. so I naturally gtfo of there. My brother and I were staying with my aunt and uncle (same ones from the first part of my post) because my grandparents had to go to Baltimore for some kind of Pastor and missionary convention and they let us stay with our cousins for the weekend.
Our cousins were so excited for Sunday and when I asked them why, they said that they were going to be baptized.. and said that they were going to Chuck E. Cheese afterward. So my brother and I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese too, but my aunt said that I had to be baptized first.. my brother was too young to be baptized then.. and yeah.. after that ordeal, we ended up going to McDonald's..
The third time I nearly drowned was in the Atlantic Ocean at Riis Beach, in Far Rockaway, NY.. during a mass-baptism for my Mom's church.. I don't remember what religion it was, but they had really good food and they got really mad if you didn't take a plate home with you.. the food was Afro-Caribbean.. but I never really understood why but my Mom said it was because they bless the food and it takes a long time to make it and it is rude not to accept when it is offered.. so it was probably a courtesy thing.
Anyway, so we had to show up to Riis Beach at like 4:30 a.m. when it is PITCH BLACK AS IN YOU COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE HORIZON IF SOMEONE HAD A GUN TO YOUR HEAD.
And everybody is wearing white, and a lot of the women (who were way, way older than my Mom was at the time) were way, way too free under their garments especially when there were children present. It was like these women were trying to show off their goods after they had been dunked so, it got NSFW really quickly. In fact, my Mom decided to leave pretty soon after we had gotten dunked and we were just past blue hour..
Anyway, the pastor decided that it would be best to do 10 people at a time holding hands and then after walking into the ocean while reciting the prayer with him, he and his assistants would go and dunk people one by one.
My mom had my brother and I was with the "showgirls.." when we were walking into the ocean while reciting the prayer, I was already kinda freaked out because I remember what happened the last time someone tried to baptize me.. so I was keenly aware.
But I was calmed by the fact that I heard the pastor praying as he got closer and he wasnt speaking in tongues.
So I was like ok cool.
Unfortunately, that was the least of my concerns as once he got to me, he put his hand on my forehead, and started praying, and his assistants put their hands on my back to lower me, I felt something grab my ankle and I flipped the fuck out.. the assistants were holding my hands so I ended up shoulder checking the pastor into the water when trying to get away and as he fell he grabbed on to me and I fell on top of him and took his assistants with me.
I managed to get back up and hauled ass back to the shore where my Mom was trying so hard not to laugh at the fact that I somehow managed to take out 6 people while trying to get baptized..
And as for what grabbed my ankle, it was sea weed.
My Mom wasn't even mad at me.. she just thought it was hilarious, but she was mad at the fact that there were grown women that decided not to wear anything under their clothes for this knowing full well that there would be children there. Most of them had children there themselves.
So after that, we left and never went back to that church..
The first time was in the Chesapeake Bay of Buckroe Beach in Hampton, VA.
I'm not going to lie, I was stupidly curious kid trying to reach a really cool looking buoy that I erroneously thought I could reach because it was so close.. I didn't account for the downward slope underwater.. and I slipped and it was a good thing my aunt called me back and my uncle followed me and grabbed me before I got too far.
The second time, was in the James River in Newport News, VA.. that was a baptism gone horribly awry.. the pastor was praying and then he started speaking in tongues and it scared the bejesus out of me, and when he tried to dip me, I fought him every step of the way and got away fron him. My grandfather was a pastor at a different church so I had seen him do dozens of baptisms, but never sounding like a Cacodemon from Doom.. so I naturally gtfo of there. My brother and I were staying with my aunt and uncle (same ones from the first part of my post) because my grandparents had to go to Baltimore for some kind of Pastor and missionary convention and they let us stay with our cousins for the weekend.
Our cousins were so excited for Sunday and when I asked them why, they said that they were going to be baptized.. and said that they were going to Chuck E. Cheese afterward. So my brother and I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese too, but my aunt said that I had to be baptized first.. my brother was too young to be baptized then.. and yeah.. after that ordeal, we ended up going to McDonald's..
The third time I nearly drowned was in the Atlantic Ocean at Riis Beach, in Far Rockaway, NY.. during a mass-baptism for my Mom's church.. I don't remember what religion it was, but they had really good food and they got really mad if you didn't take a plate home with you.. the food was Afro-Caribbean.. but I never really understood why but my Mom said it was because they bless the food and it takes a long time to make it and it is rude not to accept when it is offered.. so it was probably a courtesy thing.
Anyway, so we had to show up to Riis Beach at like 4:30 a.m. when it is PITCH BLACK AS IN YOU COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE HORIZON IF SOMEONE HAD A GUN TO YOUR HEAD.
And everybody is wearing white, and a lot of the women (who were way, way older than my Mom was at the time) were way, way too free under their garments especially when there were children present. It was like these women were trying to show off their goods after they had been dunked so, it got NSFW really quickly. In fact, my Mom decided to leave pretty soon after we had gotten dunked and we were just past blue hour..
Anyway, the pastor decided that it would be best to do 10 people at a time holding hands and then after walking into the ocean while reciting the prayer with him, he and his assistants would go and dunk people one by one.
My mom had my brother and I was with the "showgirls.." when we were walking into the ocean while reciting the prayer, I was already kinda freaked out because I remember what happened the last time someone tried to baptize me.. so I was keenly aware.
But I was calmed by the fact that I heard the pastor praying as he got closer and he wasnt speaking in tongues.
So I was like ok cool.
Unfortunately, that was the least of my concerns as once he got to me, he put his hand on my forehead, and started praying, and his assistants put their hands on my back to lower me, I felt something grab my ankle and I flipped the fuck out.. the assistants were holding my hands so I ended up shoulder checking the pastor into the water when trying to get away and as he fell he grabbed on to me and I fell on top of him and took his assistants with me.
I managed to get back up and hauled ass back to the shore where my Mom was trying so hard not to laugh at the fact that I somehow managed to take out 6 people while trying to get baptized..
And as for what grabbed my ankle, it was sea weed.
My Mom wasn't even mad at me.. she just thought it was hilarious, but she was mad at the fact that there were grown women that decided not to wear anything under their clothes for this knowing full well that there would be children there. Most of them had children there themselves.
So after that, we left and never went back to that church..
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