This is my post for #freewriters Tuesday prompt can you swim hosted by @mariannewest
The above picture is of my dad's dock, in the 1960's. I grew up on the south side of Sebastian Inlet. It was called Henry's Fish Camp but is now known as Sebastian Inlet State Park. https://www.floridastateparks.org/Sebastian-Inlet
The tides here are very strong and it was all about knowing when to swim and when to stay out of the water.
The inlet is one of the worst in the state to go through if you do not know what you are doing. They even put up a sign that said local knowledge is needed to go out of the inlet.
When we were young, we had to stay inside the dock when we were swimming. That is a treasure hunting boat tied to the dock. It belonged to the Real Eight co. who Kip Wagner owned.
With my parents raising 5 children on the inlet there was no can you swim it was you will swim. My dad started teaching us to swim as soon as we started walking. I can remember my dad throwing me off of the dock then he would dive in by me but would not let me touch him as I dog paddled to shore. We did this day after day, at slack tide, until I could swim without struggling.
This sister fell off of the dock one night, it was cold and she had a big coat on and could not swim in it. The tide was ebbing and she went under the dock. I ran to the other side and one of the men who were shrimping from the dock reached down and grabbed her. I remember her eyes looked 3 times their size.
I remember when dad threw this sister off of the dock, she went straight to the bottom, that was exciting.
This was the oldest dock that I remember, dad rebuilt it and made it the L shape.
If I was not in the water, I was sitting on these rocks fishing, I would fish for hours. I could hear people talking about me sitting there for so long without catching much. Who knew then that I was practicing for my adult life as a fisherman?
All photos are mine
