2020.06.27 16:53
2020.06.27
one zero zero
2018.06.27
architects. do you feel respected?
I saved two people once. It was the end of July and the beginning of August 1989 at Savannah Beach, Tybee Island. The first week of my vacation was over, and the first week's house guests had left, and I was then waiting for the second week's house guests to start arriving. The house was on one of the lanes in-between the numbered streets and second in from the beach. Since it was late afternoon, I left a note for my guests and decided to take a stroll on the beach. The beach was deserted, as was usual for that time of day, and I didn't even notice the couple way out in the water holding on to an inflated raft until the guy waved and yelled "Hey!" I thought he was being friendly, so I waved back and continued to stroll. Then I faintly heard, "We can't get back in." Within a second or two I thought, "Oh dear. Those people are going to be carried away rather quickly because I'd been watching the tidal movements the whole prior week. By the time I go back to the house and call for help they'll be way out there." Then I yelled back, "OK" and just started to swim out to them. I'm only an average swimmer, but I'm a great floater, so I wasn't really worried about myself. When I got to them I saw they were a couple, maybe married, maybe boyfriend and girlfriend, and they looked horribly sad. I just started to push them in, kicking my feet as much as possible, and, as slight waves came along, I told them to paddle with their feet as well (I haven't done it in years, but I used to spend whole afternoons body surfing whenever I was down the Jersey shore). Finally, our feet could touch bottom, and we all just began sighing with relief. On shore, we just stood there for a few seconds, they thanked me and I said you're welcome, and we walked away in different directions. Almost just then, I saw some of the second week's house guests walking onto the beach. They were all excited and they were thrilled about the location. I said, "You see those two people walking down the beach? I just saved their lives."
2005.06.27
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