Training Begins:
A lack of sleep would be an omen to anyone else, but the Siren's call was there just beyond the trees. Whether the cause was the anticipation or the coffee, I was not sure. One way or another, morning could not come quick enough. In hindsight, coffee before bed whilst full of excitement for the upcoming day was not wise one way or the other.
Apollos had not yet girded his horse when I sprang from the bed and was glad to be alive. I greeted the new day with a chest for my meal, which needed ice, the book of First Thessalonians, a few pull ups and a few push ups.
After the gear was loaded the last thing to do was to eat on my way back to Ginnie. Two Nature Valley bars later and I was the third person in front of the store. As early as I got there, I will need to be earlier if I want to beat everyone else there.
Two fresh OW students there for their first OW dives got to hear about nonequivalent tank pressures and what all I see at the bottom of my local lakes. They loved hearing about the fact that I had no divable springs in my area.
Once the doors to the lodge opened like the doors to Jurassic Park, I walked in and found my instructor standing there like one of my past college professors. I walked up and shook the hand of my adoptive patriarch of this sport. Walking beside him I could almost see glimpses of the cave in his eyes.
The other two students arrived and after the ferryman was paid, we were taken around back to learn how to live to tell another tale. The question was posed: "Do you need a line to penetrate a cave?" After a moment... "No, but you may need one to get out." Similar wisdom flowed from this man for hours as we, the students, learned line drills and communication techniques.
Lunch was gone before we could enjoy it. Time was flying and the song was growing louder.
The classroom was not difficult, but it was informative. Even though the book briefly gave us information, Johnny expounded upon it. Wit and wisdom are two words I will use to describe our professor's teaching style and before we knew it, the time had come for us to get our feet wet...
