Growing up, I loved dolphins. I loved the way they moved through the water, I loved the way their faces looked like they were always smiling and always happy. I loved going on my uncle’s boat in the oceans of Maine and seeing their backs touch the surface so they could get some air. Dolphins were majestic to me, and so was the ocean. It felt free to be by the ocean, it felt like there was nothing to worry about except for making it in before dark.
I’ve always loved the water. My Nana taught me to swim and she taught me how to float. On those hot summer days in Maine, you could find the whole family “out to camp” with sandwich meat and some bread sitting in the cooler on the picnic table. Most Saturdays in the summer, Nana would bring her strawberry pretzel salad, Aunt Cindy brought the fudge, and there was always plenty of delicious salads and bags of chips hanging around for everyone to eat. Some of my camp friends and I would ride our bikes from the top of the hill into the water (even though Grampie didn’t like that because it rusted the chain and ruined the brakes). Our camp has an outhouse and there’s plenty of mosquitoes, but the smores and hot dogs we cooked over the fire always tasted delicious. Fourth of July has always been the best day of the year because that means everyone is out and the music boat is going to be playing around the banks of Pushaw.
Every night in the summer it seemed like I looked forward to going to sleep. I smelled like citronella and the top of my cheeks were sore from the sun. Getting to sleep at camp was so much more fun than sleeping at home because I got to sleep on the loft. The ladder to the loft was right in between two couches, and I always loved jumping off the ladder into the cushions. Nana never liked using towels and still, to this day, says “You don’t need a towel, let the Sun dry you off”. And she has always told me, “You make sure you pack your bathing suit” even if I’m only going away for a day.
Nights at camp were especially memorable when Grampie would take me on his boat. Most nights before dinner, it was just me and him. He had bought a dingy little red boat from Mrs. Drinkwater, one of our camp neighbors. It had no motor at first, and no steering wheel. The seats were made with wooden planks, and there were empty jugs on the side in case any water came in. Grampie would take me out when the sun was starting to go down and the fish were jumping out of the water. He always told me this was one of the best times to go fishing, because the water looked like glass. It was calm, and it was a feeding time for the fish. Grampie would steer the boat from the back, and we would ‘coast’ our lines hoping for a bite. Those nights I cherish, because it was Grampie and I’s time together. He has always reminded me and said, “Cass, you will always be my first grandbaby and our first grand-daughter”. He has always reminded me that I am loved, I am cherished, and I am blessed.
Even if we weren’t at our camp, all of our family trips and camping weekends took us to places where there was water. Nana would have to force me out of the water, and sometimes I wouldn’t even get out to eat. Every time Nana told her friends about me she would say, “Cass is a fish, she loves to swim just like me”. Swimming, for our family, was something everyone enjoyed. Whether it be kayaking, jetskiing, riding in a boat, or just sitting on the banks, near the water was our favorite place to be.
Camp has always been a place of joy and a place of fun, and my friends loved it just as much. Nana and Grampie knew how much I loved camp, and trusted me to go there with my friends to swim and to hangout. Almost every night in the summer, my bestfriend Josh and I would night swim and take pictures on the beach or we would bring all of our friends there after Prom or Semi. Looking back, all of my favorite memories included camp. My favorite people could all agree on one thing, the fun that could be had when there was water.
Water, to me, was a means of escape. When I was in a lake or by the ocean, I was able to enjoy the best moments with my favorite people and I felt free. I felt like the dolphins I saw on my uncle’s boat, free and happy. And as I enter a new phase of my life, I have that same feeling on land. I am free, I am happy, and I am determined. The passions I have and the joy I feel keep a constant smile on my face, just like the faces of my favorite animal. I am a dolphin.
What's Good With Cass 