Standing Up

The following post was submitted by Sarah Roddey, Downtown Church's Designer in Residence. We didn't know she had so many talents. STANDING UP I have a husband and three sons who love to surf. Currently staged throughout my home and garage are 6 surfboards (at least that’s how many are within eyesight).  We subscribe to two different surfing magazines and the wave report is pulled up daily on the computer. So it’s only natural that on the last long weekend of the summer that we head to the beach, along with siblings, parents, nieces and nephews.

My youngest son (10) has recently graduated from standing up on the boogie board to hanging ten on the surf board, so I was feeling a little left out. Adding to the pressure was the fact that my nieces are now all surfing as well. I decided it was high time to give it a try.

Now make no mistake, I had to talk myself into it.  The odds were against me.  I am 44, 5’ 8”, have had 3 children and (uh-hem)……a low center of gravity.

After prying the very large Styrofoam surfboard from my youngest, I put aside all self-defeating tendencies and made a decision that I was going to catch a wave and stand up on that board. So…..I tried.  I fell, and I tried and I fell and I tried and I fell and I tried and I fell.  Salt water was in eyes, nose, ears and throat.

Quickly I decided that the next step was to enlist Divine intervention.  I told God that I realized He had bigger fish to fry, but that I was going to stand up on that board and could use a little assistance. Then everything started hurting and I had to take a lunch break.

After reapplying sunscreen, I decided I’d try some more.  After all, who wants to sit on the beach by themselves and watch everyone else surf for goodness sake?

I had definitely gotten the hang of catching the waves (who cares if they’d already broken?) so I was at least halfway there. Try, fall, try, fall, try, fall, try….and then….

I stand up!  I’m up I’m up I’m up! And guess who happened to be standing there waiting to simultaneously cheer me on AND take my picture as I actually stood up?  My sweet husband.

Immediately I asked if he’d gotten a picture, and if so, could he please Photoshop me into a twenty-something ripped up triathlete with a savage tan.  He laughed.

My first ride.

It was not easy, nor was it pretty.   A person of my physical stature doesn’t go from a prone to a standing position without…..casualties.  My knees!  They have no skin left on them and required icing for 2 hours.  My hip!  It has a bruise the size of a salad plate from a fall in 4” of water!  And I somehow managed to rip a toenail to boot. But it was worth it!