Against the wind

Last week I found myself paddling "against the wind". Which led me to hum the Bob Seger song by that same name:

Against the wind

I'm still runnin' against the wind

Well I'm older now and still running

Against the wind.


It was while canoeing across a beautiful lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of northern Minnesota up near Ely. The day was windy, gray and overcast. The colors of Fall were beginning to surface amidst the cold green pine forest. And on that day- as often seems to be the case, we found ourselves paddling against the wind on a lake where only days earlier we had paddled against the wind while coming inbound in the opposite direction. Whoever controls the weather up north seems to have an active sense of humor.


I've written before about the times when we experience the wind at our backs. Those moments of rest provide time for renewal and rejuvenation. They are welcome moments that seem to go away as quickly as they come. Running against the wind, on the other hand, seems to be more of a constant in life. The winds of life seem to blow steadily throughout our lives with occasional gusts and lulls that keep us alert. This adversity presents us the opportunity to grow and strengthen our muscles and our resolve to make it to the next shore. And after reaching that next shore we're given a measure of satisfaction.

Paddling against the wind influences our direction. The wind tries to push us to turn back or to one side or the other. And while it's tempting to paddle across or away from the wind, ultimately either of these options presents its own unique perils. Being sideways in the wind makes you vulnerable to tipping or having waves crash over the side of your canoe. Going with the wind takes you towards bigger waves. So- just as in life, short term gains canoeing can lead to long term problems. Paddling into the wind may take more effort, however, it causes you to navigate towards calmer water and minimizes the odds you'll tip or swamp the canoe.


Maybe paddling against the wind isn't so bad after all.