Menominee Sunrise
North Pier Light House
A secluded Swimming BeachIt was a bright sunny windy day with the winds blowing off of Lake Michigan and it was time for my swimming lessons. This was the summer that my parents decided I needed to learn how to swim. I would go down to Red Arrow Beach, each day around noon for swimming lessons. Being the month of June, the lake water was cold. It really had not had time to warm up, but instructors were here to show all of us how to swim.
I had made it thru the 1st week, and really did not like the cold water especially on windy days. This particular day, my older sister walked me down to the beach for my swimming lessons, and since we were early, she gave me my instructions and said she would return in a couple of hours. I wandered up and down the beach and then hiked up onto the grassy areas, and spotted a nice place to sit in the tall grass out of the wind. The sun was beating down, and it was warm there, so I laid down on my to watch the clouds go floating by. Then I fell asleep.
Several hours later, some noises and people talking along the water created enough commotion to rouse me from my slumber. I peaked over the reeds and grasses and noticed that people were stretched out in a line walking in the water parallel to shore. Being kind of curious, I got up and walked over and wondered what was going on. Seeing my sister by the water, I strolled over and stood next to her. She was intensely watching the people in the water and scanning the lake with a nervous darting glance as she wrung her hands. Reaching up, I asked what was going on, and she responded that the people were looking for her brother as they could not find him and they are thinking he had drowned. The Coast Guard had been called and should be here shortly to help in the search. My next comment, “ But sis, I am right here” hung in the air for a moment or two as she looked down at me, then back towards the lake. Then she jumped with a scream, “I found my brother!” The next words, echoed in my ears, as she yelled, “Boy, are you in trouble now, wait ‘til mom gets a hold of you!”
She talked to the life guards, thanked them and apologized to them for my bad behavior and said mom would give me reasons to remember this day, as she grabbed my arm and marched me home. It was a long walk and a very silent boding time, and when we reached the yard, mom came running out of the house, looking meaner than a junk yard dog. I knew I was in a for a whipping and decided to make a break for it, but mom also had a broom and that broom caught the back of my legs as I bolted and flipped me face down in the dirt as she proceeded to use the broom to meet my backside. In the midst of the swings, I was also informed that my swimming lessons were now over, as I was confined to the yard for the rest of the summer.
I packed a lunch the next day and thought about running away, but never stepped a foot out of that yard. For the rest of that summer my friends would always show up in the afternoon and we would play, laugh, and have fun while mom was at work. We would even bend the rules and play baseball on the vacant lot next door.
Whenever, I go to visit family on the Lake Michigan, I always stop by North Pier Lighthouse and watch the lake and waves as it is one of my favorite things to do and remember the things that have shaped me into being me. For each little story propelled me forward to be where I am at today. Without the stories that happened, be they good or not so good, I would not be where I am at today. Life is GOOD!
I had made it thru the 1st week, and really did not like the cold water especially on windy days. This particular day, my older sister walked me down to the beach for my swimming lessons, and since we were early, she gave me my instructions and said she would return in a couple of hours. I wandered up and down the beach and then hiked up onto the grassy areas, and spotted a nice place to sit in the tall grass out of the wind. The sun was beating down, and it was warm there, so I laid down on my to watch the clouds go floating by. Then I fell asleep.
Several hours later, some noises and people talking along the water created enough commotion to rouse me from my slumber. I peaked over the reeds and grasses and noticed that people were stretched out in a line walking in the water parallel to shore. Being kind of curious, I got up and walked over and wondered what was going on. Seeing my sister by the water, I strolled over and stood next to her. She was intensely watching the people in the water and scanning the lake with a nervous darting glance as she wrung her hands. Reaching up, I asked what was going on, and she responded that the people were looking for her brother as they could not find him and they are thinking he had drowned. The Coast Guard had been called and should be here shortly to help in the search. My next comment, “ But sis, I am right here” hung in the air for a moment or two as she looked down at me, then back towards the lake. Then she jumped with a scream, “I found my brother!” The next words, echoed in my ears, as she yelled, “Boy, are you in trouble now, wait ‘til mom gets a hold of you!”
She talked to the life guards, thanked them and apologized to them for my bad behavior and said mom would give me reasons to remember this day, as she grabbed my arm and marched me home. It was a long walk and a very silent boding time, and when we reached the yard, mom came running out of the house, looking meaner than a junk yard dog. I knew I was in a for a whipping and decided to make a break for it, but mom also had a broom and that broom caught the back of my legs as I bolted and flipped me face down in the dirt as she proceeded to use the broom to meet my backside. In the midst of the swings, I was also informed that my swimming lessons were now over, as I was confined to the yard for the rest of the summer.
I packed a lunch the next day and thought about running away, but never stepped a foot out of that yard. For the rest of that summer my friends would always show up in the afternoon and we would play, laugh, and have fun while mom was at work. We would even bend the rules and play baseball on the vacant lot next door.
Whenever, I go to visit family on the Lake Michigan, I always stop by North Pier Lighthouse and watch the lake and waves as it is one of my favorite things to do and remember the things that have shaped me into being me. For each little story propelled me forward to be where I am at today. Without the stories that happened, be they good or not so good, I would not be where I am at today. Life is GOOD!
1 comment:
My gram took me to a Lighthouse when I was in Tawas City a few years ago.
It was really interesting to see the variety in the lighthouses.
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