I was training one of my favorite clients yesterday. Yes, I have favorites. Anyone who tells you they don't is being polite, but they are lying. And no, it's not a white lie. That is not a thing. A lie is a lie and that is that. Anyway, I do this. If you read any of 'Breaking Booze' you know. I do always get back on track though.
So, I was training my client and the time I fell through ice came up. I hadn't told her yet, and I realized there are others who also don't know. Why not blahg about it?
So this is how it goes:
I was out in these woods once, and I mean once, in 2010. I’d never been there before and I haven’t been back since. I was unfamiliar with the layout of the land. I knew there was a lake nearby, but not how close. I had my dog with me. We were on a date with a girl and her dog. The girl let her dog off his leash. My dog, Lucky, was not usually allowed to go without a leash. She was impulsive and a terrible listener. But we were in the woods! There were no roads or cars close by. I guess I thought it would be okay. It wasn’t long before Lucky wandered off. I looked up to see that she was standing on the ice, and pretty far out too. We started walking toward her, and the next thing I knew, she fell through. The ice collapsed and she dropped into the water. I ran. I hit the ice and kept running. I got about ten feet from her and dropped to my knees to crawl. I knew if she went through, I would too, and I figured I’d have more control from a crouched position. I got to her and the ice broke. I dropped and immediately positioned myself behind her. I couldn’t touch bottom. I tried lifting her out, but her front feet kept slipping on the ice. I couldn’t get her high enough. Finally, I went under. I submerged myself so that I could get my feet to the bottom to push off and launch her. It worked! She slipped a little, but got right up and even tried to come back to me. I yelled at her to get away. I had to get myself out. I was wearing a sweatshirt, corduroy pants, and I still had my shoes on. Needless to say, there were barriers. I pulled myself up and halfway out of the water, when the ice broke. I pulled myself up again and the ice broke again. I tried once, maybe twice more before I got to a place where the ice could support me. It was the coldest I’d ever been. I remember being calm though. I remember not panicking. I did show some signs of hypothermia, but ultimately was fine and so was Lucky. She lived another 5 years in fact. The girl and her dog? I never saw that dog again. It turns out he wasn’t hers. I spent a little more time with the girl, before I realized she was bad news. She just stood on the shore that day. She didn't help. She wasn't a helper. Don't be with someone who doesn't even try to help. That's one of the lessons here. I never should have been out there. I don't care to change the past, though. It's why I'm here! The other lesson, is to be super duper careful when you are near an icy lake in March, because by then the ice has started to melt, and you and/or your dog could fall through and not make it out.
Thanks for reading. Peace and love.
-Steph
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