this story made me a youth group legend.
growing up inland TEXAS we had little chance of ever getting to see a beach but one day, i had such an opportunity and this particular day at the lake would be one that the youth of aldersgate and the community would never forget!
in greenville, TEXAS, we have a small private lake. in order for anyone to use the lake, you had to know someone that lived on the lake in order to have access to the lake. what luck! we had a church member that lived on the lake. the day was to be filled with skiing, tubing, swimming and the usual cookout that accompanies a day spent on the water. now folks like myself who had no experience skiing got our feet wet by hitching our bodies to a water tube. this tube was pulled by a high powered boat. my first try was a complete success as i swerved to and fro across the turbulent water that was created by the boat. it was my second time on the tube that is the stuff of legend.
we had to climb aboard the tube in water that was too deep to stand in. as i was trying to settle myself on the tube, the driver of the boat decided that i was on and took off (my mind screamed stop as i was barely on the craft). i struggled to maintain a hold on the tube as the boat went roaring through the lake. i was miserable while of my body bounced off the water (who knew that water could hurt so bad??) i strove to pull myself up on to the tube as the speed increased but finally i had the tube somewhere around my waist. i said to myself “screw it” and maintained my current semi-waist position on the tube and started to enjoy the ride. all of a sudden, i noticed an unusual sensation come over me. i felt the water in a new way as it splashed all over me. i decided to throw caution to the wind and use one hand (now free from the tube) to investigate. i reached my hand back and grabbed full butt cheek. but what had become of the clothes that should have been the first thing that my hand touched?? i suddenly realized that i had been skimming across the water butt naked! it was one of those moments that can be summed up as such: oh, i am naked…..OH I AM NAKED!!!!! the first thought i had was to let go of the tube; at last i was free from the miserable journey, but it was not on my own terms. the boat turned and the driver asked what was the matter. my face had to be as red as a beet as i threw up my hands and declared “they came off, my clothes came off!! the boat proceeded to search for my apparel while at the same time circling me as if i they were buzzards moving in on a dead animal. they found my clothes about 100 yards back. i was 15 years old and had suddenly come into my own.
such is the story of my day at the lake. my everlasting nickname was fittingly “flash”
