It’s the terrible conundrum of Humanity… we don’t know what we don’t know. It leads people to start businesses that falter, enter into relationships that are remarkably like previous failed relationships, and volunteer for things that can get our heads broke.
I knew, briefly, a firefighter who was all the usual things that firefighters are- tall, brave, well-trained, confident, and fit… whatever. And he kayaked with us. We took him to some smaller rivers to help him train up, but the old crowd of us went to a class 4 river later that Summer. We told him to hang out, watch from the bank, meet us at the halfway point… all the usual stuff that newbies do until they’re ready for big water. We couldn’t make him see that the little river we’d been training him on was, at absolute best, a class 2. We tried to explain ‘pushy’ water, and how he hadn’t experienced it yet.
He didn’t know that he hadn’t experienced pushy water, and insisted that he’d paddle the Ocoee with us. Well, he’s a grown person, and we’d tried to get him to understand that he didn’t know what he didn’t know, but he’s got the right to say what he’s gonna do. …But there was also a highway alongside the entire river run, too. Makes it easier for him to quit. Or to have the body removed.
Which was good. After the first 100 yards of run, he knew a lot about what he didn’t know. He wiped the blood off his face and got out. Good man.
Which is all to say- Mrs. Nutley’s brood just learned a little about what they don’t know.
“Didja know that duct tape adds inches to your height?”
Didja know, I totally forgot about the Nutters. I mean Nutleys. Nice to see ’em back again.
Ma!! I couldn’t find any ducks to tape. They just had these tiny boats.
I liked your story. Known a few like him.
Quick enough on the uptick to know when to quit?
5 kids go out …
… 4 come back …
The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know. Sounds nasty. And I thought the Marines was tough.
Read a book called “Up S**t Creek” about groovers and nasty experiences with them. Quite entertaining.
We are..
I rafted the Ocoee many, many years ago during a drought. So the usual category 4 areas were more a 2-3. Still got thrown out of the raft a few times.
I love their enthusiasm. Even covered in duct tape they’re still positive.