The best of times

I just got back from the Outer Banks. It was unfortunate that I had the dregs of a cold, icky sinuses, rainy days, and a wrenched muscle in my back. On the plus side, I spent time with my father. So, all in all, it was a positive trip.

My father has all the best stories. Best in good stories, best in adventures, best in tales. Not all stories are happy, but they are good. He told me this one before, but he added a little more this time.

Once when he was in college, he and some buddies of his went out sailing in the Pamlico Sound. Now this way before the days of checking the weather reports and radar. Heck, it might have been before flare guns for all I know. Anyway, it was a nice day, so they went for a sail.

Of course, as you can guess it, a storm came up, and their boat tipped over. Unable to right it, they all clung to the hull of the ship. My father looked about in all directions, but there was no sign of land, just stirring water and waves everywhere. Only in the far off distance was a house on a point. So my father said, "Look, we can't just stay here. No one knows we're gone, no one is going to come looking for us. I'm going to swim to that house to get help. You all stay here, don't move. (He meant don't swim off from the boat.) Keep watching that house. When I get there, I'll wave my shirt so you know I got there." And he and one friend set off through the churning water to get to the house, miles away.

Of course, he finally made it to the house. Only to discover that the house was abandoned and dilapidated. However, he figured there had to be a path to the house, and a road at the beginning of the path. So they set off over a grassy track and finally made it to a road. Walking down the road, he was finally able to flag down a truck, go in to nearby Aurora, and get help for his friends.

That is where the story usually ended for him, when he told it to me. This weekend, he was reminiscing about his friend he swam with, as he had recently attended his funeral. So this time, he added a little bit more.

He said he always held the people of Aurora in high regard. When they were rescued, the whole town turned out, gave them a warm place, hot food, dry clothes, a place to stay. What they did was important. It was a an act of kindness by a whole town.

Now, I love the story, and the addition I just heard. But more than that, I like that he has a story to tell. It might be a little scary, and at least it has a happy ending, but mostly, he has stories to tell his family. Stories are important. Sometimes it's better to have a memory than a photograph.