Nathan Lewis 'Ocoee Adventure'

Ocoee Adventure By Nathan Lewis

There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of thinking that you’ve taken your last breath. Then God steps in and lets you take one more. This little adventure started out, as so many others do, with a simple conversation. Last summer, Shawn, a friend of mine, asked me if I would like to join him on a trip down south. With my schedule free, a few days out of town seemed like the perfect opportunity to recharge. A taste of serenity and time away from the day-to-day just might do me some good. “I’m all in!” Six weeks later, a quick 312-mile bus ride, and I found myself on the shores of the Ocoee River, just south of Chattanooga. As I filed out of the bus, my feet carried me down a short gravel path. The trees funneled me to my starting point. The
We got the best river guide! I can already tell.” I pondered for a moment. “How can you tell?” Without hesitation, Shawn responds, “Because you always want the guy with the gnarly beard leading you through the white water. Look at his face, he's a snob! It’s just a normal, everyday thing. It’s just something he does. It’s like breathing for him.” I wasn’t sure if I quite agreed with him, but I could understand his logic. I hone in on Eli’s voice, “Now, who has ever been white water rafting before?” Shawn quickly raises his hand. I cautiously raised my hand. I’m sure that my extensive experience as a 10-year-old, floating down the river with Dad one summer, would count. “Great, you two guys are gonna set up front.” We find our raft just above the launch point. Eli begins his spiel. He assigns us each a spot, I’m front left, Shawn front right. The vessel is filled with four additional occupants, and Eli sits on the center edge of the rear end. “Now, when we’re on the water, there are only four commands that I’m going to give. I’ll either shout one, two, back, or get down. If I shout one, it means I need everyone to give me one strong stroke, all together. If