"Come on, you sexy bitches!"
Aug. 12th, 2009 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kateelliottA melancholy morning, with rain and clouds (what is left of former Hurricane Felicia). In Hawaii it is customary after the death of a surfer or paddler, or anyone really who is part of the aina (the land in its largest sense), for family and friends to go out on the water and spread flowers on the waves and, possibly, the ashes of the deceased. That's what I did this morning: I drove out to the North Shore in order to be part of a group who went out with a small family group to spread flowers on the waves in memory Wendy Danielle Ingersoll Davis.
She belonged to the paddling club I paddle with, was a very experienced and strong paddler, and was also a math teacher at the high school and one of my sons' favorite teachers there. She was hit by a car while out jogging, sustained head injuries, and in the end there was nothing they could do except, as per her wishes, donate her organs to three waiting people.
It's always shocking; she was only 40.
She was a strong positive personality. She seemed to find life to be a thing you could be ebullient about. She pitched right in and worked hard because things needed to be done. She was very encouraging to new paddlers, an excellent teacher, and she was funny.
I didn't paddle long distance with her, but those who did remembered one particular race - it must have been the race from Molokai to Oahu, across the channel. Going that long, 41 miles as long as the currents don't pull you off course and add distance, the paddlers make changes; that is, those paddling jump out into the ocean and replacements, waiting bobbing in the waves, get into the canoe and take it on. Those who have just jumped out get into the escort boat (a power boat) and they go alongside until the next change, get a drink of water and maybe something to eat. Also, they call encouragement from the escort boat to the paddlers, who might be battling rough seas, exhaustion, hot sun, strong winds, whatever. They would shout the usual stuff: "Stay strong, girls!" "Dig deep, Ladies!" "Push! Push!" and so on.
Not Danielle. She would stand on the escort boat and shout:
"Come on, you sexy bitches!"
So come on, you sexy bitches. When you're feeling exhausted, or battling rough seas: dig deep. Stay strong.
She belonged to the paddling club I paddle with, was a very experienced and strong paddler, and was also a math teacher at the high school and one of my sons' favorite teachers there. She was hit by a car while out jogging, sustained head injuries, and in the end there was nothing they could do except, as per her wishes, donate her organs to three waiting people.
It's always shocking; she was only 40.
She was a strong positive personality. She seemed to find life to be a thing you could be ebullient about. She pitched right in and worked hard because things needed to be done. She was very encouraging to new paddlers, an excellent teacher, and she was funny.
I didn't paddle long distance with her, but those who did remembered one particular race - it must have been the race from Molokai to Oahu, across the channel. Going that long, 41 miles as long as the currents don't pull you off course and add distance, the paddlers make changes; that is, those paddling jump out into the ocean and replacements, waiting bobbing in the waves, get into the canoe and take it on. Those who have just jumped out get into the escort boat (a power boat) and they go alongside until the next change, get a drink of water and maybe something to eat. Also, they call encouragement from the escort boat to the paddlers, who might be battling rough seas, exhaustion, hot sun, strong winds, whatever. They would shout the usual stuff: "Stay strong, girls!" "Dig deep, Ladies!" "Push! Push!" and so on.
Not Danielle. She would stand on the escort boat and shout:
"Come on, you sexy bitches!"
So come on, you sexy bitches. When you're feeling exhausted, or battling rough seas: dig deep. Stay strong.