Tara Rocks

Well, she does…

if only we had listened

We tried to listen, but the excitement was just too much, we grabbed our towels and ran.  We loved those unpredictable waves, telling each other , “go farther”  to see who would be knocked down first. We love the water, at home the fast rushing river or creek, or the calm smooth lake, tasting nice and cool when you got it in your mouth.  The ocean was a whole new world every summer, salty and stinging, scary and exciting.  There was just no time for sunscreen…  if we had only realized how much time would be lost, when we could have been in the waves.

Come on over to Madison Woods Blog to see more 100 word photo prompt stories, or even add your own

14 thoughts on “if only we had listened

  1. HI..Enjoyed your story but the ending left me puzzled. Did you end up suffering later in life because you were sunbathing so much (without sunscreen) … instead of enjoying the waves?

  2. I really like your contrast of the rushing creek, the calm lake, the stinging ocean. The grammar of the last line might leave more uncommunicated than you intend–I’m left a little puzzled. The identification the reader feels with his/her own delight in the water, in childhood, is well conveyed–enjoyed it!

  3. I’m also one of those confused by the ending. However, since I was afraid the ending was going to be that one of them got washed away or pulled out to sea by a rip tide because of not listening, it wasn’t so bad!! 🙂 You conveyed the excitement very well.

  4. Dear Tara,

    I thought this very good and telling and oh, so true. You really found the fly in the ointment, so to speak, of youth and the need to do something that might make a huge difference way down the line. I am a child of pre-sunscreen days and whatever lotion my mother could slather on got washed away immediately. Then a long stretch of time in the navy and at sea in other capacities. I am left with the knowledge that your story is mine and that the clock is ticking…

    Aloha,

    Doug

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