Tale of the Dock

Summer is my favorite time of year because, well, summer is my time.  My time to offer my services and my time to shine.  Summer is when people love me again.  Winters are cold and long but most of all they are lonely.  People don't want me in the winter because the water beneath me is frozen.  In the winter, I am useless.  Nothing but a few pieces of wood nailed together, freezing alone in the cold, waiting for summer to return.  But in the summer I am a valley favorite.  I am no longer just a few pieces of useless wood.  I am a masterpiece; I am a launch pad.   A launch pad that springs the regular visitors into some of the warmest water in the valley.  I am a launch pad where memories are made.  It is my back that the kids, and an occasional adult, stand on when they need an afternoon break.  They use me for their creative experiments; some successful, others failures in the form of back flops.  But all great memories.   There are many groups that come throughout the summers; some young, some younger.  But all fun-loving and free-spirited.

The most frequent visits come in the dead heat of the summer afternoons.  But there are a few who like to visit me at night.  Often these late night visitors come in pairs and it is during these visits that they share some of their deepest thoughts, desires and fears with me.  I could write a book about the hearts of the teenagers that have come through this valley. But they confide in me and trust me so I keep their secrets engraved in the slivers of my spine.  They sit on my back pondering life and building friendships, and I am happy to be the sounding board and foundation for so many of their philosophies, plans, ideas, and relationships.

I have been here for years watching my regular visitors grow older and welcoming new visitors.  Some have moved on to live the dreams they've discussed on my shoulders and others will inevitably follow suit.  But I will always be here, waiting for old friends to come back to tell me how they've missed me during their cold winter months and waiting for new friends to come and discover the relief I can offer from the blazing sun and the intense pressures of the world.  Here I stay waiting for every summer to offer the best of my services.  I wait here for my time to shine and be the best version of myself; to be the best dock I can be.