A Day At The Beach

Sailing with my Uncle Russel has always been a favorite activity of mine. In fact, doing anything with my Uncle Russel is a favorite activity of mine. He lives on the western coast of Florida, and I live in Arkansas, so I don't get to see him very often. However, when I do get to see him, I always enjoy every minute of it. The other day, I ran across a picture of my uncle and me sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. A calm feeling came over me as I recalled the relaxed atmosphere that surrounds a day of sailing.

Looking at the photograph, the serenity of the day is apparent in our faces. My uncle's face is relaxed and pleased as he directs his gaze at me. The cloudless sky and bright sun causes me to push my sun bleached eyebrows down so far that my eyes become nothing more than two dark slits just wide enough for me to see the open ocean in front of me. My uncle's sunglasses shield his eyes from the burning sun while mine stay perched atop my head in a sort of ironic defiance. The concentration on my face is apparent as I stare toward the open ocean trying my best to keep the boat on course. Uncle Russel looks on with a pleasant stare, ready to give advice or praise. Our faces tell the story of the day.

The clothing, or lack of it, worn in the photograph is indicative of the mindset of a casual sailor. Both my uncle and I are wearing nothing more than our swimming trunks. My skin shines a rich tan color in the sun while the same sun that makes my skin shine exposes a blanket of skin covering my uncle full of wrinkles and imperfections earned by a lifetime of living on the edge. I sit atop the driver's stool with both hands on the wheel. My uncle is sitting just to my right ready to grab the wheel should I find myself in any sort of trouble. His hat is backwards on his head in typical Uncle Russel style for he was never one to adhere to the norm. We are surrounded by the hundreds of ropes, bars, and supports that make